Return to the Keep
by Mythique
Summary: Braelyn & Rommath never reunited. Living a quiet life in Goldshire, Braelyn is blackmailed by a man who betrayed her once before. She soon discovers that her one chance to escape a life of misery lies in the hands of the king. A what-if companion piece to The Watcher In the Keep and The Shadow of Our Pasts.
1. Starting over

**AN - **sorry for the deletion. Since I had to repost, I thought I'd change the title. Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and the plot.

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><p>Braelyn Hawke stood awkwardly on the road, halfway between Goldshire's blacksmith and Tharynn Bouden's trade wagon, trying to force herself to move forward. For the third time in as many days, she was attempting to sell one of the last links to her stay in Silvermoon City. The last two attempts had ended in dismal failure, Braelyn covering up her approach by making many unnecessary purchases.<p>

She was determined that today, the first anniversary of her return to Stormwind, was the day she'd achieve her goal.

Braelyn looked down at the red velvet pouch in her hand, the golden tassels wound around her fingers. It contained one of the loveliest gifts she had ever received; a pair of beautifully crafted gold earrings, shaped to look like phoenixes. She knew that she would receive a good price for them, enough to cover the cost of a new set of mail armor _and _ the bow she'd had her eye on for the past few weeks. But no amount of money could match the sentimental price she'd attached to them when He had given them to her.

Even now, Braelyn's fingers itched to slip the pouch back under her tunic, but she couldn't afford to give in to sentimentality. It had been a year. A long, hard year full of broken dreams, foolish hope, and not much else.

Rommath was never going to come for her.

The Grand Magister of Silvermoon had surrendered his love out of misguided fear for her safety. For many months, Braelyn had waited, fully expecting him to regret his decision and send for her, begging for forgiveness. It never happened, and Braelyn slipped into a nightmare of denial, grief, and heartbreak.

Her parents were too relieved to have her home to provide the support Braelyn needed. It was only the steadfast compassion of her friend Andorien, and the tough love of her cousin, Odariah, that got her through it all, and prepared her for what she was now about to do.

Braelyn's great romance was over. It had ended painfully, but she had survived, and she felt as if she were stronger for it. It was now time to accept it, and take the first steps into the next stage of her life.

She took a deep breath, held it, and then released it into the cool morning air, feeling a bit lighter, and clearer of mind. She strode forward with renewed purpose, calling out a cheerful greeting to Remy and offering him the pouch.

"I have something you might like to buy," she said, as Remy eyed the contents of the pouch with some surprise and a lot of appreciation. "Make me an offer."

* * *

><p>As the Eastern Kingdoms headed into Autumn, the sun was setting earlier and earlier as the days went by. Braelyn, who had set herself up as a hunter trainer, bid her last client farewell as the sun began to sink into the horizon. It was good honest work, and kept her mind and body busy. It helped, in the early days of her return, to keep her thoughts off Rommath while she waited with impatience to hear from him. Then it became her coping mechanism, and, finally, a job that she loved.<p>

It also gave her an excuse to stay in town, and not resume adventuring.

After the seige of Orgrimmar and the disastrous trial, a ceasefire between the Horde and Alliance had been reached as both factions waited to discover what Garrosh Hellscream was up to. The peace was tenuous, however, and warfare was still common in areas like the Arathi Basin, Ashenvale, and Pandaria's Isle of Thunder. Raids were common, on both sides, though they were not as bloody as they used to be. It was as if raids were done out of nostalgia or boredom, or perhaps just to test the waters, or their opponent's strength.

Azeroth was a little bit safer, but adventurers still found themselves getting caught up in all sorts of trouble, and Braelyn had had enough trouble to last her next three lifetimes.

Braelyn heard a soft rumble at her ankles and looked down to find her lynx, Bitey, staring at her with a hopeful expression. The animal was a reminder of her stay in Quel'Thalas, much like the earrings, but she could not sell him. Their bond was too great.

"You want to go hunting?" she asked, scratching Bitey behind the ears. He let out an excited growl. "All right, then, but mind you stay away from the Stonefield's sheep, or Tommy'll shoot you." The lynx gave a disappointed whine before galloping off into the forest towards the Fargodeep Mine.

Poor Kobolds.

Braelyn decided to head to the Lion's Pride Inn for dinner and a few drinks. It wasn't very far, and she was looking forward to catching up with her cousin and Andorien. On her way, Braelyn exchanged friendly greetings with the town's merchants and a few of the Stormwind guards. She had the oddest feeling of being followed, even though she couldn't see anyone behind her. She sighed. It was probably Keryn Sylvius, the resident rogue trainer. Every month, Keryn would pick one of the townspeople to practice her skills on. It was obviously Braelyn's turn.

Braelyn made a mental note to pick up a few extra flares and some ice traps.

"Good evening, Miss Hawke!" Farley called out as Braelyn entered the Lion's Pride. She shook her head in amusement. She'd been trying to get the innkeeper to use her given name for years now, but he still insisted on standing on formality. He had a lot of respect for the Hawke family, having served with Braelyn's mother.

"Hello, Farley," she replied, smiling as the warmth of the fire washed over her. Luckily, her favourite table, right in front of the fireplace, was empty. She quickly snagged it before she lost out. "Can I get an ale, please?"

As Braelyn waited for her drink, she saw her cousin arrive, Andorien right behind her. She waved them over, grinning at Odariah's slightly grumpy expression. The priest was having the most trouble adjusting to 'normal' life, missing the life of the adventurer. If if weren't for Andorien, and her concern for Braelyn, she probably would have gone off on her own.

"Honestly, cousin," Odariah exclaimed as she threw herself down next to Braelyn, "I don't know how you can enjoy the life of a small town trainer. It's so boring. I seem to spend all my time standing around the inn waiting for people to show up and ask me stupid questions."

"I don't have that problem," Braelyn smirked. "Must be a priest thing."

"Oh, ha, ha," Odariah replied as she ordered a drink from Melika Isenstrider.

"Dearest, if you dislike training so much, why don't you seek work at the Cathedral of Light?" Andorien suggested.

"I could," Odariah admitted, "but the commute would suck, and I am needed here." The priest tried hard not to look at her cousin as she spoke, but failed.

"We have a flight path now," Braelyn pointed out. "The commute would take less than five minutes by gryphon. As for me, you shouldn't put your own plans on hold just to baby me."

"I know, Braelyn," Odariah said, grasping her cousin's hand, "but you're family... "

"I sold the earrings today," Braelyn interrupted bluntly. Odariah and Andorien both stared at her in surprise.

"You did?" Odariah asked.

"Yes."

"You did well, Braelyn," Andorien said, patting her hand. "I know it can't have been easy for you."

"It took me three attempts," Braelyn confessed sheepishly, "and I had to spend the money straight away to make sure I didn't buy them back. When it was done, though, I felt better. As if I really had let him go."

"I'm proud of you, cousin. You have such strength. And great taste in weaponry," Odariah added, noticing Braelyn's new bow. It was carved out of oak, and made to look like a tree branch covered with delicate foliage.

"Well, I figured I needed something to scare off all the suitors my mother will throw at me when she realises I've finally moved on," Braelyn said, only half-joking.

"I'm sure Ellysan will not be so... what was that?!" Andorien exclaimed as a serious of loud thuds echoed through the inn. It sounded like cows, or horses, running across the roof.

Odariah jumped to her feet when she heard screaming coming from outside the inn. It was followed by the sound of a woman laughing, then barking out orders in Orcish. "Not again!" she exclaimed, as her companions gathered up their weapons. "It's only been a few weeks since the last raid."

"Everybody!" Braelyn shouted over the noise of the inn's panicked patrons. "If you can't fight, head down into the cellar with the innkeepers and stay there until a guard comes for you. All those with weapons and the will to defend Goldshire, head out in small groups from the back entrance. Odariah, you and Andorien will come with me out the front."

Odariah nodded, grasping her staff with determination. Andorien, normally their healer, transformed into a bear in order to attract their attacker's attention when they exited through the inn's front door. Braelyn waited until the civilians were safely evacuated before giving Andorien the signal to leave.

Andorien charged outside, Odariah followed after casting a shield around herself. Braelyn paused a few seconds to notch an arrow in her bow, cursing her decision to leave Violet and Denaria at home. Hopefully, news of the raid would reach her parents quickly, and they'd think to bring her pets with them when they came to the town's aid.

Braelyn stepped outside, immediately letting an arcane shot fly at a forsaken holy priest. She grimaced as she saw a number of Pandarens around. As much as she loved their race, having them on a spontaneous battlefield was a pain in the arse as it was often difficult to tell whose side they were on.

She didn't have time to ponder the problem for long. Stepping further into the town square, she was blindsided by a psychic scream. Dropping her bow, she ran towards the Fargodeep Mine, unable to control her fear and panic. By the time the spell had passed, she was deep into the woods, and isolated from her friends.

"Damn it!" Braelyn swore as she realised that the only weapons she now had were Bitsie's old daggers. Considering that Bitsie had been a gnome, the blades were little more than throwing knives for someone Braelyn's size. "I need to get a spare set of daggers," she muttered, remembering she'd left her only pair at the blacksmith's for sharpening.

Deciding to make a dash back to the inn for her bow, Braelyn set off towards the town, hoping to skirt the centre of conflict. She heard a rustling in the trees above her, and dived gracefully to one side as an arrow thudded into the ground nearby. She got back to her feet and continued forward, only to find herself thrown back by an invisible barrier.

_A binding arrow, _Braelyn thought when she recovered from the sudden shock. She scanned the surrounding trees, cursing the dying light. "Why do you keep coming here?" she shouted, hoping to draw the other hunter out. "What's in it for you?"

"It be the challenge, mon," a male voice said, and Braelyn swore she'd heard it somewhere before. "All dem bored heroes of da Alliance in one place."

Braelyn bit back a shout as a troll dropped out of the tree directly in front of her. He was taller than the average troll, with a vibrant teal mohawk and eyes almost the same colour. Long elegant tusks decorated with gold bands jutted out from lips twisted in a smug smirk.

Memories of Braelyn's drunken shenanigans in Silvermoon City flooded her brain. She blushed with mortification as she remembered just who this particular troll was.

"Ol' Tal'lin be glad ya remember me, little human," he said with amusement, languidly moving to one side to counteract Braelyn's attempt to step around him.

"I wish I didn't," Braelyn muttered, and flung one of Bitsie's daggers at the troll. Tal'lin laughed as he deflected it with his bow.

"Now, now, dere be no need for dat, I don't be here ta hurt ya."

"Then why are you here?" Braelyn challenged.

"I be wantin' to see ya again. Denaria Daybreak be tellin' me where ya from, so I thought I'd stop by. Was hopin' we could go for a drink, maybe a dance?" Tal'lin said with a cheeky wink.

"Piss off!" Braelyn exclaimed, beginning to back up. An awful screeching sound caused her to stop, and she saw two vividly coloured raptors flank her. They did not attack her, they weren't even trying to intimidate her, but she knew that they wouldn't let her flee. She had no choice but to stand her ground as Tal'lin sauntered towards her, that annoying smirk still firmly in place.

"Tell me," he said, "do tha good people of Goldshire know about how ya danced for me? Do dey know 'bout what ya got upta with the Grand Magister?" Tal'lin reached out and trailed a long finger down Braelyn's cheek. She shuddered, remembering how Rommath used to touch her the same way. The memory of her former love, and anger over the troll's unspoken threat, made her try to back away.

Tal'lin followed her, grasping her chin with his strong hand. His grip bordered on painful, forcing Braelyn to a halt. The troll's grin darkened. "Ya know, dat blood elf still causes me grief every time I go ta Silvermoon. Even though he threw away his pretty li'l human girl, Rommath still be holdin' a mean grudge."

"Don't you dare speak of him!" Braelyn snapped, trying to jerk her head free. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don' I?" Tal'lin taunted. "Your li'l love affair is the talk o' the Horde."

Braelyn gasped, not just because talking about Rommath was still a little painful, but because Tal'lin mentioned something that could have dire ramifications for Braelyn and her family. If word about her failed relationship was spreading through the Horde, there was the very real possibility that it would also reach Alliance ears. She groaned as she thought of the scandal she'd face.

Tal'lin grinned as he noticed Braelyn's distress, running his thumb over her bottom lip. "Ya gonna play nice, girly?"

Repulsed, Braelyn reared back, slamming her knee into the troll's groin. As Tal'lin was wearing mail armour, the action hurt her a lot, but she ignored the pain in order to jerk the same knee into his face as he doubled over.

"I call that my knee-to-jerk reaction," she spat, and turned around once she was sure that Tal'lin was incapacitated. Her bruised knee prevented her from running, but she limped away as fast as she could. Thankfully, the troll's pets were too concerned about their master to come after her.

As she hurried back to her friends, Braelyn had no idea that her troubles were growing by the minute. Stealthed among the shadows of a giant oak, the same rogue who'd been following Braelyn for the past two days silently thanked the gods for what had been overheard.

It was not Keryn Sylvius.

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><p>Lord Jonathan Devereaux the Third had arrived in Goldshire two days ago with the sole purpose of tracking down Braelyn Hawke and convincing her to marry him. Why? Because the time had come for the aristocratic rogue to settle down and start building a legacy.<p>

Unfortunately, both his reputation _and _his finances had taken a battering over the years, meaning that the majority of his fellow noblemen were reluctant to trust him with their daughters or their fortunes. But Braelyn, with her war-hero parents, had money aplenty and good lineage to boot, and the fact that he liked her was a bonus. His little hunter was stubborn, but endearingly so, and there was a sweetness about her that made Jack certain she'd make a wonderful Lady Devereaux.

Her family's reputation would also provide a certain level of protection against SI: 7. Everybody knew how close the Hawkes were with the royal family.

When he'd arrived in the village, Jack knew that he'd have some sweet-talking to do. His first romance with Braelyn had not ended well, but he was confident that he could talk her around. Flash a few charming smiles, buy her a few pretty baubles, that sort of thing. A few hours spent observing her, however, made him realise that it would not be that easy.

The Braelyn of his memories no longer existed. Her core personality remained unaltered, but her stubbornness was more pronounced, and she had a strength of will about her that was unfamiliar to Jack. After overhearing the conversation she'd had with her cousin, Jack was certain her new-found strength had to do with the failed relationship Braelyn alluded to.

Jack had been stymied, not sure how to proceed with his courtship. Sweet talking Braelyn was not likely to succeed. He thought that he might have to work on Braelyn's parents instead, using their desire to see their daughter well-married to his advantage.

Then the Horde had come and changed everything. Like Braelyn, Jack had been caught up in the goblin priest's psychic scream, following after the hunter in his panicked flight. He'd admired the way Braelyn had handled the overly friendly troll, but it was their conversation, rather than their fight, that had really caught his attention.

His sweet Braelyn had had an affair with a blood elf... not just any blood elf, but with the Grand Magister, one of the most powerful men in Quel'Thalas _and_ the Horde. While most of the house of nobles would be disgusted by that revelation, Jack wasn't so judgemental. The blood elves were a beautiful race, and Braelyn had never been a bigot. Plus, given his own past, Jack was in no position to start throwing stones.

The information he'd just overheard was not off-putting in the slightest. In fact, it was most welcome, handing Jack all the ammunition he needed to achieve his objective. A part of him was dejected to have to resort to blackmail to win his bride, but he could deal with the disappointment once he'd secured the fair maiden's hand.

After all, as a rogue, Jack knew better than anybody that the happiest of endings were often the result of the dirtiest of deeds.

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><p><strong>AN - <strong>here we go! So the changes you'll find in this story compared to the previous two; no Agents of Light, Braelyn's adventures were the result of free will; the Goldshire raid in Watcher never happened, meaning that Braelyn was not prompted to join the Argent Crusade; Braelyn never went to Orgrimmar and never reunited with Rommath, who survived the siege and is back in Silvermoon; the truce between Horde and Alliance is a little more tenuous than in Shadows.

If you're into song-fics, the song that comes to mind when I think about how Rommath and Braelyn's relationship ended is 'Set Fire to the Rain' by Adele, especially the line 'I set fire to the rain, and I threw us into the flames'. It sums up both Rommath's decision to send Braelyn home, and Braelyn's eventual letting go of him.

BTW, if you have any charas you'd like to see pop up in the story, don't hesitate to let me know, and I'll do my best. Alliance characters have a better chance, though.

Next chapter: Lord Jack puts his plan into action, and Braelyn is less than impressed.


	2. Rogues are still to blame

The first sign of Braelyn's impending doom came a week after the raid on Goldshire. She'd returned home from an overnight trip to Darkshire to find her mother in unusually high spirits and her father polishing his ceremonial sword. The gigantic one he liked to intimidate people with. Tommy Stonefield still had nightmares about it.

At the same time, a bevy of maids and hired hands were undertaking a thorough clean of the house and maintenance of the grounds. When Braelyn asked what was going on, her mother replied that it was just a spot of spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning. In Autumn.

"Don't take things so literally, sweetie," Ellysan had told her daughter when Braelyn pointed the seasonal anomaly out. The mage had then urged her daughter to take a trip to Stormwind to have her hair cut. "Seriously, Braelyn, I've seen hedges neater than your hair."

"They're up to something," Braelyn told Odariah later that night over drinks at the Lion's Pride. "I just know it."

She spent the next few days on edge, waiting for her worst fears to be realised. After a week, enough time had passed that Braelyn calmed down, believing her suspicion about her parents' odd behaviour to be without merit. She threw herself into her job, taking great delight in being able to share her knowledge and experience.

"Nicely done, Cameron!" Braelyn said, smiling at the young village boy who'd expressed an interest in becoming a hunter. His widowed father was a farm labourer with four other children to take care of, all of them older than Cameron. Money was tight for the family, and, being the youngest, Cameron often missed out on everything, including attention. For several hours a week, Braelyn gave the child her undivided attention, and taught him some skills she hoped would help him earn some money, which he knew he would give to his elder sister, Missy. She wanted to become a paladin, but with so little money, there was no way she could afford the training.

This morning, Braelyn was teaching Cameron how to re-string his bow. His was a cheap little thing that his father had bought for him last Winter's Veil, and the boy was so proud of it. It made Braelyn extra determined to see him succeed.

"Tighten that knot at the base... that's it," she said. "Now, we need to wax the bowstring and oil the wood, so it doesn't rot or crack." Braelyn watched as her student did as was instructed, surprised when Missy came running into her training area.

"Miss Hawke! Miss Hawke!" the girl cried, panting as she came to a halt in front of the hunter. "Your mother says you have to go back home immediately!"

"Did she say what for?" Braelyn asked, concerned by Missy's frantic expression. Missy shook her head, blonde curls flying.

"No, Miss, she just said to get you home as quickly as possible!"

"All right, I'll head back soon, but first, I need to give this to Cameron," Braelyn said, walking over to a training dummy, and pulling out a large box she'd hidden behind it. It was wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold ribbon.

"Happy birthday, Cameron," she said, handing the gift to the boy, smiling when his eyes widened in disbelief.

"For me? Really?"

"Yes, really. Now open it."

Cameron did as he was told, ripping into the paper with great enthusiasm and tearing open the box. The boy stared at the presents lying within; a pair of high quality leather boots and matching gloves; a warm winter cloak; and a scarf Braelyn had knitted herself. All practical things, but she knew that if she gave him money or toys, he'd just end up sharing them with his siblings.

Cameron hugged Braelyn so tightly, she felt like she was being squeezed to death. "Thank you, Miss Hawke! Thank you!" he said. "I have to go show the others!" he added, before running off.

"Now, Missy, before I leave I have a message I want you to deliver to your father."

"Yes, Miss Hawke?" The young girl said, eyes shining with happiness on her brother's behalf.

"Tell him that I have booked a table at the inn for you all tonight, for a birthday party that's been paid for already. It starts at eight. If he looks like he wants to refuse or not show up, tell him I said he can either swallow his pride for one day for Cameron's sake, or he can spend the rest of his days with my lynx attached to his ankles."

Missy stared at Braelyn like she was bravest woman on the face of Azeroth, before bobbing her head. "Yes, Miss Hake!" she said. "I'll tell him right now."

Braelyn watched the girl go with a smile on her face, turning when she heard a soft chuckle from behind her. The local weaponsmiths, Kurran and Corina Steele, stood looking at her with grins on her faces. "What?" she asked.

"You'll make an excellent mother one day, Braelyn," Corina said.

"And some man the luckiest in the Eastern Kingdoms," Kurran added, "after myself of course."

Braelyn just laughed and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. But as she began to walk back to her house, she couldn't help thinking that at the same time last year, she'd been hoping that 'lucky man' was Rommath.

* * *

><p>The moment Braelyn stepped inside the house she was grabbed by her mother and practically thrown into her bedroom. "By the Light, girl, what took you so long?" Ellysan Hawke demanded as she started unhooking her daughter's bow and quiver.<p>

"I was training with Cameron," Braelyn said, yelping when her hair got caught up in her bow as her mother threw it into the corner. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"We have a special guest coming for dinner tonight," her mother replied. "He'll be here shortly so you need to get washed up and dressed. He'll be here shortly, so you'll need to hurry."

"Mum!" Braelyn squeaked as Ellysan started unbuckling her armor. "I can undress myself!" She stepped away from her mother. "I am not involving myself in your matchmaking schemes."

"Who said anything about matchmaking?"

"You did," Braelyn said as she removed her gauntlets, "as soon as soon as you mentioned a 'special guest' who's male."

"Hmmph, well, regardless... into the bath with you," Ellysan said firmly. "No arguments, Braelyn Hawke!" she added when Braelyn began to protest. "Your father and I are sick of you moping around after that blood elf. It's time to find you a more suitable man." With that, Ellysan gave her daughter one last imperious look before stalking out the door, locking it for good measure.

"Damn it!" Braelyn cursed. She was tempted to stay dressed as she was, but knew that her mother's reaction would be terrifying beyond all reason. Far worse than a dinner with whatever dandy they'd pulled off the streets of Stormwind this time. She sighed in defeat and started removing her armor and clothing with more petulance than someone her age should be capable of.

Stalking into the bathroom, Braelyn found that the metal tub had already been filled with hot water. She climbed in, wincing as her skin came into contact with the too-hot water. She tried not to think about the luxurious bath she had access to in Silvermoon City, or the indulgent soaps and oils.

Upset at her parents' interference, and by being reminded of Rommath twice in one day, Braelyn did not linger in the hot water, even though she normally found baths relaxing. She washed quickly, taking care to get her hair extra clean. She got out while the water was still warm and dried herself off before the cold could set in.

Returning to her bedroom, Braelyn discovered that her mother had even set out an outfit for Braelyn to wear that evening. Lying on the bed was a pale pink dress made out of the finest windwool cloth. Gold embroidery lined the hem, long-sleeves, and neckline in an intricate floral pattern. A pair of matching velvet slippers completed the ensemble. The colour of the dress was the perfect shade to compliment Braelyn's light brown hair and tanned skin, and her mother had also left a pair of simple diamond earrings for her to wear with it.

Braelyn dressed quickly, twisting her long hair into a simple braid. She'd just finished tying the embroidered ribbon when she heard the tell-tale clicking of her door being unlocked. She took that to mean that the 'special guest' had arrived, so slipped her shoes on and headed down to the living area.

She heard her parent's voices welcoming their guest with warmth, though her father was sounding slighty aloof, as if to try and intimidate the poor man. A third voice spoke, and although she could not hear what he said, Braelyn could comprehend the charm and good manners of a nobleman.

A merchant, or an officer in the Alliance army, she could work with, but a nobleman? Light have mercy on her.

Then the man laughed. Braelyn froze at the bottom of the staircase as something tugged at her memory. No... it couldn't be. Not him. Surely fate would not be so cruel. With trepidation, she walked forward until she stood in the doorway.

Fate was indeed a cruel mistress.

Standing in front of her parents, dressed in the finest of suits, was a man Braelyn would have sacrificed everything she had to never see again.

Jack.

When she entered the room, her mother turned to her with a huge smile on her face. "Braelyn, you're here. Let me introduce you two," she said, taking her daughter's hand and guiding her over to their guest. "My lord, this is my daughter, Braelyn. Braelyn, this is Lord Jonathan Devereaux."

As Braelyn extended her hand for Jack to take, she wanted to tell her parents that she already knew who this man was, knew who he _really _was, but she held her tongue. If they found out about how she knew him they would hit the roof. So she held her tongue, and allowed herself to pretend that this was their first meeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet to you, Braelyn," Jack said, kissing the back of her hand. She felt her skin crawl, and couldn't believe she had ever been foolish enough to let this man into her bed, let alone her heart.

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Jonathan," Braelyn replied, pleased, and a little surprised, that the statement didn't come out sounding like a death threat. Jack smiled, then tucked her arm under his to escort her to the dining room. She had forgotten just how charming and well-mannered he was.

As she followed her parents, Braelyn risked glancing at Jack. He had aged well, hardly looking any different to the last time she'd seen him almost seven years ago. He had golden hair that was the envy of women (and blood elves) everywhere, honey coloured skin, and brown eyes that were as keen as a hawk's. His lips were twisted into a smirk, well aware of Braelyn's evaluation of him.

Braelyn held back a sigh. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Anyone who needed a lesson on why rogues were so dangerous needed to be at Braelyn's house. By the end of their dinner, Jack had managed to convince the elder Hawkes that he had seen their daughter on one of her trips to Stormwind and had become possessed by the need to find out who she was so that he could make her acquaintance. He did it with such charm, warmth, and <em>sincerity<em>, that Braelyn almost believed it herself.

Her parents were completely fooled, so much so that it broke her heart. Her father had even put away his Sword of Intimidation. The only way they would see through Jack's charm was if she told them the truth about how they really met, and Braelyn couldn't do that. Not only was she still ashamed of her past actions, but she feared her parents' reaction.

So even though she knew that Jack was up to no good, Braelyn decided to play along with it until she found a way to extricate herself from the situation. Knowing Jack, he probably just needed her help for a get rich quick scheme.

"It's been such pleasure having you with us this evening, Jonathan," Jasper Hawke said as he poured whisky for Jack and himself. Braelyn desperately wanted some, but she and her mother were drinking moonwine.

Ladies don't drink whisky.

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine, I assure you," Jack replied, smiling at Braelyn. Braelyn barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She could hear her mother writing out the wedding invitations already. "In fact, I'm hoping that Braelyn would do me the honour of joining me for dinner in Stormwind this weekend."

"Oh, she'd be delighted to!" Ellysan said happily, before Braelyn could even formulate a response. "Won't you, Sweetie?"

Braelyn wanted to say that she'd rather die, but her mother, seeing her daughter's hesitance, was giving her the Ellysan Hawke Death Glare. Her father was beaming, proud that his little girl had managed to capture the attention of a nobleman. He would die happy knowing that his daughter was safe and cared for. Which left Braelyn with only one option...

"I'd be happy to," she said, trying to look happy, or coy, or whatever the hell a woman was supposed to look when she was being courted.

"Excellent," Jack said, reaching over to take Braelyn's hand in his once more. As he kissed it, he looked at Braelyn with an expression she was all too familiar with, a bright twinkle in his eyes that promised nothing but trouble.

_I won't let you win this time, Jack, _Braelyn swore. _I swear it._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>poor Braelyn's parents mean well, and are good people, I swear.

Next chapter: Braelyn heads to Stormwind for her 'date', but makes a detour to the Keep to see King Varian first. But things don't go the way she was expecting.


	3. The Rampaging Murloc

The day of Braelyn's date with Jack arrived quicker than she would have liked, and things had started to go wrong from the moment she woke up. One of the maids set fire to the kitchen when cooking breakfast. Then one of Odariah's students hit her with a psychic scream and sent her running into the murloc infested Crystal Lake, which caused said murlocs to go crazy. Then the Brackwell's new pig got loose and joined the murlocs in their crazed rampage through Goldshire. It took hours to get things sorted out and everyone calmed down.

And then Ellysan Hawke's reign of terror began.

Braelyn was bathed in rose infused water, and scrubbed to within an inch of her life. Her hair was washed, curled, and scented, and her skin slathered with lotion after lotion. Ellysan had even hired one of her friend's daughters to do Braelyn's makeup. Thankfully, the other young woman was sympathetic to Braelyn's plight, and made sure the make up was subtle and not the dramatic femme fatale look Ellysan was after.

Then her father said that before she met Jack in the Trade Quarter, Braelyn needed to deliver a letter to the king. Remembering what happened to her the last time she played mail carrier to King Varian, Braelyn tried her best to get out of the task, but her father was insistent.

Braelyn Hawke was returning to Stormwind Keep.

* * *

><p>Braelyn was not in the best of moods as she climbed the stairs leading to the Keep. Her dress was floor-length, meaning she had to had to constantly hold it up or risk tripping over it and into a canal. It was also Stormwind blue, something Braelyn had avoided wearing as it was Rommath's favourite colour on her. Her hair was loose, falling down her back in a river of curls that seemed to bounce with every step. Her sapphire earrings were dangly, and her necklace felt heavy around her neck. She couldn't escape the smell of roses.<p>

In short, everything about Braelyn's outfit annoyed her. Infinitely.

Her mood didn't improve when the king's chief steward intercepted her the moment she set foot in the throne room. His name was Dominic, and he was the man who'd looked down on her the first time she came to the Keep. She could tell by the look on his face that he was having trouble associating the woman who now stood before him with the young hunter with dirty leather armor and messy hair she'd been almost two years ago.

"My father, Jasper Hawke, would like me to deliver a letter to King Varian," she said, showing him the rolled up parchment.

"Into his hand again?" Dominic asked, trying to keep his eyes off the curve of Braelyn's hip.

"Yes, please."

"Then take a seat, Miss Hawke, and I will inform His Majesty of your presence," the steward said, bowing to her before leaving.

Braelyn was too nervous about her 'date' to sit still, so she paced up and down the throne room. It had hardly changed since her last visit, although there seemed to be more guards on duty than before, despite the fact that the room was almost deserted. Had a threat been made against the king or his son?

Braelyn did not have to wait long before Dominic returned. "Follow me, Miss Hawke," he said. "The king will see you now."

King Varian was in his office, leaning casually against his desk, but he wasn't alone. Seated in front of him were King Genn Greymane and Mathias Shaw, the head of SI: 7. While Braelyn was happy to see King Genn again, the sight of Shaw almost made her throw the letter at King Varian and run away.

"Miss Braelyn Hawke, your highness," Dominic announced before bowing and leaving her to her fate.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Braelyn said, fighting the urge to fidget. All three men were staring at her, the two kings in surprise at her outfit, and Shaw with recognition.

"Not at all," Varian said, stepping forward to kiss her hand. "You've met Genn, of course, but let me introduce you to Mathias Shaw, the head of Stormwind Intelligence."

Braelyn had to force herself to look at Shaw as she held out her hand for him to take. He gave her an inscrutable look as he kissed her hand. "A pleasure to see you again, Miss Hawke," the spymaster said. "I trust you've kept out of trouble?"

"I'm trying to," Braelyn said, horrified to hear how defensive she sounded. Damn rogue. He just couldn't pretend he didn't know her, could he?

"You two know each other?" Varian asked, lifting an eyebrow in curiosity.

"We've met before," Shaw admitted, but, thankfully, he did not elaborate, and the king did not pursue his line of questioning.

"You look lovely this evening, Braelyn," King Genn said, taking her by the hand. "What's the special occasion?"

"I, uh, I'm going on a date," Braelyn said, blushing. Talking about her personal life with the Kings was not something she'd planned on doing.

"Ah, to be young again," King Genn said in a wistful tone. "You know, I still remember my first date with Mia." He looked at Braelyn with a twinkle in his eyes. "So, who's the lucky man?"

Braelyn started. There was no way she was going to admit to going on a date with Jack. As a nobleman, he'd be well-known to the king, and Shaw was even more knowledgeable about the noble rogue. Worse still, the spymaster obviously remembered Braelyn's past affair with the thief and how it had ended. He'd not be pleased to hear that she was involved with him once more.

"Oh, uh, just somebody my parents set me up with," Braelyn blurted out. "No one special."

"Miss Hawke," Varian replied with amusement, "ladies do not dress up like that for 'no one special'. I'm intrigued now. I insist you tell us who the lucky man is."

As Braelyn stood there being stared at expectantly by the three most powerful men in Stormwind, she thought that she now knew what deers felt like when they saw wolves heading in their direction. She saw that she could not avoid answering the king's question, so braced herself for the worst.

"I'm having dinner with Lord Devereaux," she said, attempting to hide her blushing face behind her hair.

"Jack Devereaux?" the king asked. Braelyn nodded in response, unhappy to see that the two kings were exchanging concerned looks. Mathias Shaw looked very displeased. "And your parents are all right with you seeing him?"

"Yes, your highness," Braelyn said. "My parents have both met him. My mother is particularly impressed with him."

_Light have mercy, can this get any more awkward?_

"And are _you _all right with seeing him?" Shaw asked, eyes boring into Braelyn's forehead as she refused to look at him.

"Yes," Braelyn said, again sounding defensive. "Yes I am."

_Ugh, I should have said no, _she thought. _Maybe Shaw would've gone and stabbed him for me._

"Well, then," King Genn said with an awkward cough, "I wish you a pleasant evening. Come, Shaw, we best let Miss Hawke see to her business with Varian. We shouldn't keep her away from her young man for too long."

Braelyn's eye twitched as the two men left, and was bit forceful in handing her father's missive over to King Varian. "I never realised that King Genn was such a romantic," she said, finally finding the courage to look at King Varian.

"Not just Genn," Varian replied with a quick grin. "The Gilnean race in general is full of love fools."

Braelyn couldn't help the giggle that escaped her at that comment. She looked more closely at the King of Stormwind as he opened her father's letter. He was a rather intimidating man, tall and clad in heavy plate armor, his mighty sword Shalamayne strapped to his back. The scar running across his face gave him a menacing air, and his eyes, a vibrant sapphire colour, were stern and often aloof. The man radiated strength and power, and Braelyn was thankful she was not listed among his enemies.

From her previous meetings with the king, Braelyn knew he was capable of great anger. But he had the strength of will to control it, and it tended to burn out quickly. He also had a sly sense of humour, and took delight in teasing those around him, friends or loyal subjects alike.

Braelyn was glad he was their king. She wished bitterly that Jack Devereaux was half the man Varian Wrynn was. Then she might actually enjoy her dinner.

"I must admit," the king said, "that this brings back memories." He read quickly, nodding with approval at what her father had written. "A list of suggestions on how to improve Goldshire's security after the latest raid," he added. "I'm glad to see I'm not being asked to send you off into war this time."

The king's statement was meant as a joke, but Braelyn flinched in pain, and tears gathered in her eyes. The day had already been so stressful, and to be reminded of the event that set her on the path to Silvermoon was just too much.

Her gasp drew the King's attention to her, and he immediately took Braelyn by the hand and guided her to a nearby chair. "I'm sorry, Miss Hawke, that was insensitive of me," he apologised, rubbing the back of her hand.

"It's all right, your highness," Braelyn said, and took a deep breath. "I can't avoid the memories all the time."

"But I shouldn't be reminding you of them unnecessarily," he said, genuinely remorseful. "Would you like a drink?"

"No, thank you, my king," she replied.

"I never told you how much I admired your strength, did I?" the King asked, looking her in the eye. Braelyn stared in surprise, feeling a little flustered.

"No," she said softly, "but even if you had, I never would have believed you. I don't feel strong."

"You're still alive, aren't you?" the king asked. "Still living a productive life?"

"Well, yes, but... "

"No buts, Miss Hawke," King Varian interrupted. "You survived things that would have killed other people. Kept hoping when others would have given up. Whatever happened to you in Silvermoon didn't change you, didn't cause you to retreat from life. You are stronger than you think, and that is something to be proud of."

The king's gaze was earnest, and Braelyn felt so much better than when she'd entered the Keep. She smiled at him, a genuine smile that lit up her face. "Thank you, your majesty."

"You're welcome," the King replied, kissing her hand again. "Now, I'd better let you go before Lord Devereaux decides to storm the palace."

Braelyn rose to her feet and curtsied to King Varian. She graced him with another smile as she turned and left the room. With a lighter heart, she felt prepared to deal with anything Jack might throw at her.

* * *

><p>Mathias Shaw waited outside the king's office completely invisible to passersby. He'd been alarmed to hear that Braelyn Hawke was dating Jack Devereaux again. He remembered the mess the young lady had been when he'd first met her all those years ago. Devereaux had broken her heart, and left her in a situation that could have ruined her whole life, and her parents' reputations.<p>

So why was she going back to him?

If it weren't for how defensive Braelyn had been when talking about Devereaux, Shaw may have left her to her fate, despite his displeasure. Who was he to intervene if foolish young women wanted to throw themselves at scumbags who treated them badly? But Braelyn did not strike him as a fool, and she _had_ been defensive, and that caught Shaw's attention.

What if she hadn't been an innocent victim of Devereaux's but a willing accomplice? What if he and Nightwind had been fooled?

No.

That couldn't be right. Braelyn Hawke wasn't capable of deceiving both him _and _Rell. One of them, perhaps... but Shaw still didn't think it was likely. Why, then, would she consent to spend time with Jack Devereaux again? What did the nobleman want with her?

It still rankled Shaw that Devereaux had escaped seven years ago, and with such sensitive information. He'd give up his job before he let that bastard outsmart him again. Best find out what he's up to now, and not wait until his mischief was causing chaos.

So when Braelyn exited the king's office and left the Keep, Shaw was right behind her.

* * *

><p>Braelyn groaned when she saw who was standing outside the Gilded Rose. It was one of Odariah's friends, a human woman named Chelinka. The fire mage had accompanied them on a few of their adventures prior to Braelyn and her cousin meeting Bitsie Sprazzletorque. Then she and the rogue joined forces and sent the mage on her way.<p>

It wasn't that Braelyn disliked Chelinka; the mage was good fun and loyal to her friends, whether they wanted her to be or not. It's just that she and Odariah fed off each other's bold and rather reckless personalities, resulting in good situations turning bad, and bad situations turning catastrophic, especially if authority figures were involved. Braelyn still couldn't enter Booty Bay without a dozen Bruisers following her around until she left.

"Braelyn Hawke? Is that you?" Chelinka cried, her vivid green eyes lighting up in delight as she spotted the hunter coming her way.

"Hey, Chelinka. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just got back from Pandaria. Things are going craaaaazy on the Isle of Thunder between the Kirin Tor and Sunreavers," the mage said, speaking so fast Braelyn could barely understand what she was saying. "Speaking of the Sunreavers, I heard that you got abducted by blood elves or something."

"Uh, yeah. A death knight took me to Silvermoon for a while."

"Fun times not had by all, huh?" Chelinka continued.

"You could say that," Braelyn replied, beginning to lose her good mood. She didn't want to talk about Silvermoon anymore today.

"Say no more," Chelinka said, noticing her friend's discomfort. She patted Braelyn on the shoulder. "You're looking really hot tonight, Braelyn, you got a new man?"

Braelyn couldn't help but grin at the abrupt change of subject. Chelinka was as subtle as a firebolt to the face. "I've got a date, yes, though I wouldn't call him my man just yet." _Or ever._

"Oooooh!" Chelinka exclaimed, black hair swinging, as she actually danced with excitement. "Who is it? Is it someone we know? Does Andorien have a brother?"

"It would be me," Jack said as he suddenly appeared by Braelyn's side, placing a warm hand on the small of her back. He gave Braelyn a charming grin. "I'm sorry I'm late, my dear, but I had business with the house of nobles."

Jack turned to Chelinka and bowed. "Lord Jonathan Devereaux, at your service," he said.

"_You're _Jack Devereaux?" Chelinka asked in a confrontational tone that put Braelyn on alert. The mage turned to her friend. "_Are you out of your mind, girl?! _Didn't he already break your heart once?"

Braelyn blushed bright red as Chelinka's outraged tone drew the attention of several people, including some city guards. "How do you know... "

"'Riah told me," Chelinka said, glaring at Jack. Braelyn sighed. Of course Odariah told her. For a priest, Braelyn's cousin was the worst secret keeper in Azeroth.

"I assure you, miss, that I have no intention of hurting Braelyn again," Jack said, his voice polite, but his eyes promising death. "In fact, this evening is all about showing Rae how sorry I am."

Braelyn barely held back a snort, but Chelinka did not bother with such politeness. She kept eyeing the rogue with distrust. She took Braelyn's hand, as if wanting to drag her friend away. "I don't think you should go with him, Braelyn. He'll only hurt you again."

"This is none of your business, mage," Jack interjected.

"It is, too! Braelyn's my friend."

Braelyn half wanted to let Chelinka deal with Jack, but knew that if she did, they'd _all _probably end up in jail, and the Trade Quarter would be in flames. So she put a hand on the mage's shoulder and squeezed it. "It's all right, Chelinka. I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

Chelinka opened her mouth to protest, but Braelyn shook her. "Leave it, my friend. If you want to help me, just let it go," she said stubbornly.

The mage glared at both Braelyn and Jack before letting out a frustrated huff. She gave Braelyn a hug. "If you're sure that's what you want," she said. She narrowed her eyes at the rogue. "If anything happens to her, I'm coming after you, nobility be damned."

"You're most welcome to try," Jack sneered in response.

Braelyn smiled weakly at Chelinka as the mage turned and walked away muttering about 'no-good rogues and crazy-assed hunters'. Jack slipped her arm under his and began guiding her towards Cathedral Square.

"Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way," he said, nodding at some passing nobles who were staring at Braelyn with open curiosity, "let me escort you somewhere special."

Braelyn remained silent for the entire trip, uncertain that she would not start screaming or push Jack into the canal. It didn't matter, anyway, Jack talked enough for the two of them, telling her about his landed estates and manor house in the city.

She was not impressed, having heard it all before from Mathias Shaw. After she'd been arrested. Because of Jack.

_Urge to kill rising._

"And here we are," Jack announced with a grand flourish. "Stormwind's newest, and most exclusive, gourmet restaurant."

Braelyn couldn't believe what she was seeing. After the day she'd had, the name of the fancy little restaurant did not bode well for the rest of her evening.

It was called 'The Rampaging Murloc'.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong> Chelinka belongs to ChelinkatheArchmage. Hope I didn't butcher her too badly, Chel. Braelyn loves her, truly.

I love Mathias Shaw and dear old Winston Churchill... I mean, King Genn.

Next chapter: Braelyn's dinner date is easier to endure than she thought. Until it ends. And drunken Braelyn may or may not make an appearance.


	4. Even kings love rum!

"It's so beautiful," Braelyn said, unable to stop herself from admiring Jack's handiwork. The rogue had booked out the entire restaurant so that they would be dining alone. A single square table stood in the centre of the room, a lone red candle burning among the exquisite china and glassware. Rose petals covered the floor, and a four-piece band was playing soft music, hidden behind a screen so that Braelyn and Jack could not be seen.

Braelyn had to admit that if she did not know Jack's true personality, her heart may have been in danger.

"Not as beautiful as you, love," Jack said, playing with a strand of Braelyn's hair. She pulled away from him.

"I don't know why you're bothering, Jack," she said. "I am not going to fall for your charms again."

Jack laughed, guiding her over to the table and helping her into her seat. "You say that now, Rae, but wait until dessert. Then you might just change your mind."

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. The food was fantastic, and Jack had remembered all the things that Braelyn loved to eat and talk about. He asked for nothing but her attention, and, despite her best efforts to resist, he got it. She found herself laughing and smiling more than she thought she would, and more than she ought to.

Time had done nothing to dull Jack's wit or his charm. There were moments when Braelyn forgot the pain of Jack's betrayal and relaxed in his company, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor and put his arms around her. For a few minutes, Braelyn forgot all about Rommath, and once again became the naïve teenager that had fallen so hard for Jack that she'd considered forgoing the life of an adventurer for that of a housewife.

When the dance was over, Braelyn came back to her senses. She chided herself as she pulled away from Jack, returning to sit at the table. Jack said nothing, taking his own seat and calling the waiters for dessert.

The waiter, a very dignified looking night elf, brought over two covered dishes, placing them both before Braelyn. He bowed to the human couple and retreated to the kitchens, leaving Braelyn to stare curiously at Jack. The nobleman smiled at her, that mischievous twinkle back in his eyes, and gestured for her to uncover the dish closest to her. With sudden trepidation, Braelyn did so, her instincts pleading with her to flee the building.

Sitting on a snow-white plate was a small, velvet-covered box.

Braelyn gasped, recognizing the box for what it was immediately. She stared at it in shock as Jack came around the table to kneel at her feet. She pushed her chair back, intending to leave, but Jack grasped her hands and held them in a death grip.

"Braelyn Hawke," he began, but she interrupted him, shaking her head violently.

"No," Braelyn said, staring at Jack with wild eyes. "No. You can't be serious! What foolishness is this? What trickery are you up to now?"

"No foolish tricks, Rae. Just a sincere proposal," Jack said. "It's time for me to settle down, to take my responsibility to the house of nobles seriously."

Braelyn scoffed. Jack, responsible? Ha! She opened her mouth to refuse him again, but Jack shushed her, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Haven't you had an enjoyable evening, love?" he asked, eyes boring into her as if he could stare her into accepting him.

"One nice evening doesn't make up for what you did to me!" Braelyn protested.

"It doesn't have to be only one," Jack said earnestly. "Just think of what I'm offering you, Rae. You will be a great Lady, able to influence how this city is run. You will want for nothing, and think of your parents! How happy they will be to see you settled with a man capable of looking after you."

"I don't need looking after!" Braelyn growled. "I don't need to be tied to the likes of you!"

Jack looked disappointed. "Are you really set on refusing me?" he asked.

"Yes! Nothing could persuade me to marry you!"

"Oh, I think I have something that might do the trick," Jack said. He pointed to the second dish. "I didn't want it to come to this, love," he added, sounding dejected, "but if you won't cooperate... "

Braelyn reached out a hesitant hand and lifted the cover. Resting on the plate was a red velvet pouch tied with long golden tassels. Nestled among its crimson folds was a pair of gold earrings, the beautifully crafted Thalassian phoenixes shining in the soft candlelight.

Braelyn's heart clenched painfully in her chest as her mind shut down. She was dumbstruck, almost unable to process what those two tiny pieces of gold meant.

_Jack knew. He knew about Rommath. _

The realisation made her sick to her stomach.

"I've got to give them credit, Rae," Jack said, his eyes never leaving her face, "those blood elves know how to make some lovely jewelry."

Braelyn let out a long, ragged breath. "How?" she whispered.

"I was in Goldshire during the last raid," Jack explained. "When you ran into that troll, you weren't alone."

"You heard... ?"

"Everything," he confirmed. "And I did some research, just in case I misheard things. I poked around Goldshire, talked to a few sin'dorei contacts, found out all the Horde gossip.

"I know that you and Grand Magister Rommath had quite the love affair going. I can't believe that he was foolish enough to let you go. Although, seeing as how much of a human hater that man is I guess the real surprise is that he took up with you to begin with." Jack paused for a moment before adding slyly, "Denaria Daybreak says 'hello' by the way."

"I hate that bitch," Braelyn hissed.

"Yeah, she didn't seem that fond of you, either," Jack laughed.

Braelyn couldn't believe Jack had stooped so low. Why was he doing this? She had never done anything to harm him.

"Please, Jack," she begged, turning her eyes to Jack, "don't do this. Don't you know the harm this could do to my family? To me?"

"I know, love, I know," he said. "I have no other options though." He paused for a moment. He didn't enjoy seeing Braelyn in such a distressed state. He reached out and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"You have a choice, Braelyn," he said. "Accept my proposal, or your treasonous affair goes public."

Even though she knew the threat was coming, Braelyn still flinched when she heard it. She knew what she had to do, but she still fought against giving him an answer.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," she said brokenly. "Why me, Jack? Why not some noblewoman or merchant's daughter."

"Do you really think my fellow noblemen are willing to entrust their daughters to me?" Jack said, eyes flashing with mirth. "My dear Braelyn, you know me well enough to realize that I have as much chance of gaining a noble bride as a dock hand does. The same for the merchants. Well, the wealthy ones at any rate."

"So that's all I am to you then?" Braelyn said, feeling anger begin to burn in her stomach. "A cash cow?"

"Oh, no," Jack said with a soft chuckle. "Far from it. You also come from a good family, and reputation is everything to the house of nobles. Besides," he added, kissing the delicate skin of her wrist, right where her pulse was fluttering like a bird in a cage, "I remember how well we used to get along." His eyes darkened with something akin to lust. "That's important, as well. I fully intend to have a child or two."

_Great, _Braelyn thought, _a cash cow AND a brood mare._

Jack reached out and picked up the jewelery case. Braelyn heard it click as he opened it. The ring was beautiful; a large diamond solitaire set in silver. It looked to be an antique.

"This ring was my mother's. It's been in our family for generations," Jack said, picking it out of the box and placing it on the tip of Braelyn's finger. He looked up at her with an expectant smile. "It's time to make your choice, love. Will you be my wife?"

Braelyn nodded. "Yes," she whispered, knowing her 'choice' was no choice at all. She could feel her life slipping away from her as Jack slid the ring onto her finger. She knew that once she became Lady Devereaux she'd have to give up her job, give up being a hunter. From now on, she'd be hosting tea parties and fundraisers, shopping for the latest fashions, and gossiping like an old maid.

The thought made her sick.

Jack got to his feet, dragging his future wife up with him. He drew her into her arms, kissing the top of her head. "Thank you," he purred victoriously. "Let's have a glass of champagne to celebrate, then I'll escort you back to the Inn. Tomorrow, we'll fly to Goldshire and give your parents the news."

"My mother will be ecstatic," Braelyn said, desperately trying not to cry. The only thing she had to look forward to was the look on Odariah's face when she found out that her cousin was marrying Jack Devereaux.

* * *

><p>Mathias Shaw shook his head as he saw Jack Devereaux leave his new fiancée at the Gilded Rose. The young woman, who'd been smiling so happily as she exited the Keep, was now a wreck. The spymaster watched as she ordered a bottle of rum instead of retiring for the night. He couldn't blame her. After a night like that, he'd want to hit the booze, too.<p>

Shaw wasn't a man given to sympathising with others. Such feelings could get a rogue killed faster than any poison. Yet he felt sorry Braelyn Hawke. She had so much potential, and it would be wasted as the wife of someone like Jack Devereaux. He could already see her spirit being crushed by the thought of life within the house of nobles.

He knew he should inform King Varian of what he'd heard about Braelyn's affair with Grand Magister Rommath, but he decided not to. Just this once would he forgo his duty to the crown. After all, it's not like the woman was a danger to society.

Besides, life as Lady Devereaux would be a punishment far worse than anything the king could dish out.

* * *

><p>Braelyn sat in the dining room of the Gilded Rose, a three-quarters empty bottle of rum on the table in front of her. The room was dark, the only light coming from the fire that had begun to die down. She was numb, her thoughts muddled and blessedly chaotic. Every so often, her engagement ring would reflect the firelight in a soft flash, causing her to remember her new status. Each time, she reached for the bottle.<p>

But even in her drunken state, Braelyn knew that the rum would change nothing.

Lost in a fog of melancholy, she tried to remember the last time she was happy. Genuinely happy, not the half-hearted kind she often displayed for her family and friends. She had been overjoyed to see her parents again after returning from Silvermoon, but that had been tinged with rage over Rommath sending her away.

Her reunion with Andorien and Odariah? Happy, yes, but tainted by the grief of losing Rommath. Her time spent teaching Cameron? Plagued by thoughts of the family she could have had with Rommath.

By the Light, was nothing in her life free of him?

Braelyn almost wept in frustration, but her mood suddenly shifted as she thought of the king. He had made her happy! He had told her she was strong, and worthy of admiration. It had been so long since anyone had acted like that towards her. Her family and friends still babied her, and the people of Goldshire tended to be pitying, or even condescending.

But not King Varian.

With a start, Braelyn realised that she had not thanked the king for his kindness as well as she should have. Sure, she'd said the _words_, but did she really convey the depth of her gratitude? No, she hadn't.

Braelyn's eyes caught sight of the bottle of rum. _That's it!_ She thought happily. _I'll buy him a drink. Even kings like rum!_

Getting to her feet, Braelyn grabbed the bottle and staggered out on to the street, not even caring she was barefoot. Humming a cheerful tune to herself, she stumbled over the cobblestones in the general direction of Stormwind Keep.

* * *

><p>Braelyn's sudden appearance caused Amlen to curse under his breath as he got to his feet as quietly as he could. Lord Devereaux had hired the rogue to keep an eye on his new fiancée for the night. He'd been told that the woman would be spending the rest of the night at the Gilded Rose Inn, and that had appeared to be true. Amlen had seen her arrive and take a seat in the dining room.<p>

Although Amlen prefered his women a lot less human than Braelyn Hawke, he could understand why Jack had wanted her watched. She came from good stock, and was classy in her own way. The noble families of Stormwind were a devious bunch, not above interfering with each other's betrothals or marriages if it meant advancing in the social hierarchy... Or keeping others beneath them, and there were many people who would not want Jack Devereaux reclaiming any of his lost glory.

Amlen snorted in amusement as he followed the young woman through the streets. She was obviously drunk, tripping over her own feet as she waved a bottle of rum around and sang songs that would make Jack blush. At one point she even stopped to talk to an _owl, _asking if it would like to see her dance like an 'awesome troll lady'.

Luckily, the bird flew away and Braelyn decided that it was 'too cold to dance like a troll lady, anyway'.

Amlen was surprised to realise that Braelyn was heading to Stormwind Keep. He was even more surprised when she paused before they reached the main steps and started muttering furiously about stupid guards ruining all her plans.

The rogue couldn't help but laugh softly. He wondered if the woman was this much fun when she was sober.

He then sucked in a sharp breath as Braelyn vanished. He panicked for a moment, and then his elven ears picked up the sound of her snickering, "Heheheh, suckers!" Focusing his eyes, he managed to spot the camouflaged hunter sneaking into the Keep.

With a laugh, Amlen stealthed and followed after her. _Jack Devereaux is going to have his hands full with her._

* * *

><p>Varian Wrynn was on edge, the stress of running the Alliance coursing through his veins. After hours of futile sheep counting, the King of Stormwind finally gave up on sleep, and decided to go spend some time in the Keep's small internal courtyard. He walked the cold hallways, rugged up in a warm woollen robe, and followed by his personal bodyguards.<p>

He really missed Tiffin on nights such as this. She would tell horrible jokes until he was relaxed, then wrap him up in her pale arms as they both fell asleep. His world was so empty without her, their son Anduin the only physical reminder he had of his beloved wife.

He and his guards all tensed when they entered the courtyard and found it already occupied. A young woman in a blue dress was, for want of a better word, _frolicking _about the courtyard's lawn, light brown hair streaming out behind her. She was barefoot and singing a song that was straight out of Booty Bay.

His guards moved forward, but Varian halted them with an outstretched arm. The woman was familiar, he just needed to move a bit closer...

_Braelyn Hawke?_

Varian gasped, then let out an amused huff. He'd forgotten that she wasn't always as demure as she'd appeared earlier. He and Genn still talked about the tongue lashing she'd given them on her return from Quel'Thalas.

The King was surprised that she had yet to notice his arrival, but decided to have a little fun with his unexpected guest. "Leave us," he instructed his guards. "When they went to protest, he glared at them. "I'll be fine. I know her," he added. "She is no threat to me."

As the guards turned to leave, he gave them a warning. "You are not to tell anyone she was here," he said. His men looked at each other with curiosity, but nodded to show they would obey their king. They left the room, but two of them remained on the other side of the door, facing inwards. They would not leave their king vulnerable, no matter his orders.

"What are you doing, Braelyn Hawke?" Varian asked as he approached the woman. To his surprise, she did not scream, or act at all startled. Instead she turned to him, and gave him one of those breathtaking smiles of hers. He could feel the warmth of it seeping into his bones, and for a moment, he was able to forget the troubles that weighed so heavily upon him.

"Varian!" she cried, then baulked when she realised her mistake. "I... I mean, Your Majesty!" she corrected, then dropped into a very wobbly curtsy.

"It's all right," Varian said, and it was. She could call him Garrosh Hellscream if she did so with that smile on her face. "But you need to tell me what you're doing here."

Braelyn looked confused for a while, and Varian realised she was very drunk. He frowned. Why hadn't Lord Devereaux seen her home safely? He knew the man had a shady reputation, but he was still a nobleman.

"I'm frolicking!" Braelyn announced cheerfully, twirling around and almost tripping over her own feet.

"I thought you said you never frolicked?" Varian asked with a sly grin, remembering well her father's letter to him and her vibrant response to it.

"It's never too late to start!" Braelyn replied, grabbing Varian's hand and attempting to get him to frolic with her. "We can't let the night elves have all the fun!"

"And why exactly are we frolicking?"

"To celebrate!"

"Celebrate what?" Varian inquired as he almost swallowed a mouthful of Braelyn's hair.

"I'm getting married," she said, holding her left hand up for him to see. The king frowned as he saw the diamond sparkle in the moonlight. Something wasn't right here.

"A cause for celebration indeed," he said, all amusement gone. The thought of the bright young woman with a man like Lord Devereaux brought him no joy.

And just like that, Braelyn's face crumpled and she burst into tears.

Varian responded instinctively, moving forward to catch her as the woman fell forward. He walked her over to one of the benches and held her as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed like her heart was breaking.

"Braelyn," he said, "what's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I don't want to marry him!" she sobbed, shoulders heaving.

Varian was confused. If she didn't want to marry him, why didn't she just say no?

"Then why did you accept his proposal?"

"I had to!" She replied. "If I didn't he was going to tell everyone!"

"Tell everyone what?" Varian asked, already planning a visit to Lord Devereaux in his mind. Blackmailing a woman into marriage was not something that sat well with the king.

Braelyn stopped talking as her sobs became so heavy she could hardly breathe. Varian waited patiently for her to calm down, idly stroking her hair. The curls had began to straighten and become tangled.

"I did something, when I was in Silvermoon," the girl finally whispered, looking up at Varian with guilt filled eyes. "Not terrible, not to me. But others won't think so."

"You can tell me," Varian encouraged, giving her a small smile when she hesitated.

The opened her mouth and began speaking, the words falling out of her mouth at a rapid pace. She twisted her fingers together as she spoke, anxiety radiating from her. When she finished, she stared at her king, chewing on her lower lip as she waited for him to respond.

Varian was not easily shocked into silence, but he was now. He'd known little of Braelyn's time in Silvermoon before now, and had always assumed it to be a traumatic, but entirely regular hostage situation.

"Was it consensual?" he asked at last, staring down at her in concern. If it wasn't, it would explain her behaviour over the past year, why she hid herself away in Goldshire. It would also explain her parents' fierce over-protectiveness.

Braelyn stared at him. After all she'd said, _that _was his main concern? "Yes," she confessed. "Very much so."

They sat in silence for a while before Braelyn's fear drove her to ask him, "Are you going to arrest me?"

"Of course not," Varian scoffed. If she'd told Rommath Alliance secrets, then, yes, he would have had her taken to the Stockades. As he would also do if she'd been off spying for the sin'dorei. But for an affair of the heart? No. Even though he agreed with her that others would consider it an act of treason. Fraternizing with the enemy.

"Really?" Braelyn asked, looking uncertain, as if his response was unexpected.

"Really," Varian confirmed. "The only person who should be arrested is the Grand Magister," he added with a sly grin at Braelyn. "For the crime of breaking your heart. Seriously, the man was a fool to end it."

Varian's smirk grew as he watched Braelyn blush bright red at his words. She seemed flustered that her king was joking about such a matter. He supposed that no one else did.

"Now, as for Lord Devereaux," he said, "I will deal with him personally. He will not be disclosing your secret to anyone, and he will most definitely not be marrying you."

"I... thank you, your majesty," she stammered, clearly not believing the change in her fortunes. "I don't know what else to say, just thank you!" Without warning she threw her arms around Varian's neck and kissed him.

Varian was stunned. He felt every inch of her warm body pressed against his, and the scent of roses filled his nostrils. He raised his arms to her shoulders, fully intending to pull her away.

But he couldn't do it.

He remembered how lonely he felt earlier in the evening, and how much he missed Tiffin. It had been so long since he'd had a woman kiss him like this. So long since he'd held a woman in his arms with something other than biological urges driving him on.

So Varian wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her to him firmly, his free hand travelling to the back of her head. It tangled in that glorious mane of hers as she sighed and leaned into him.

For the next few minutes, he was no longer the King of Stormwind. He was simply Varian, a man accepting the comfort offered to him by the young woman in his arms.

By the doorway, the king's guards couldn't believe what they were seeing. They didn't know the king had a mistress.

Neither did Amren, who stood watching in a shadowy corner. He was willing to bet hundreds that Jack Devereaux was just as ignorant. The rogue grinned as he thought about how his employer was going to react to news that he'd blackmailed the king's woman.

_I love my job._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>Well. Hasn't Braelyn had an eventful night out?

And a big thanks to Chelinka and Amcm74, my trusty reviewers. They let me know I'm not writing to myself :).

Next chapter: It's the day after the night before, and Braelyn has one hell of a mess to deal with.


	5. The morning after the night before

"Asdfgnrkgnkdmc," Braelyn groaned as she woke up. She'd forgotten to close the curtains, so when she opened her eyes, the sunlight hit her face full on. She buried her head under her pillow and tried to remember why she felt so bad.

Rum. It had to be. Nothing felt as bad the morning after.

Memories began to assault her sluggish brain. She remembered accepting Jack's proposal and coming back to the inn to drown her sorrows. She blushed as she recalled staggering through the streets in a drunken stupor to go visit the king.

The king!

"Oh my gods, I kissed the king!" Braelyn gasped, sitting bolt upright. She hissed as the sunlight stabbed her in the eyeballs. "I _kissed _the _king_!" She covered her face with both hands as she remembered everything she told Varian Wrynn, including her drunken confession.

And the _frolicking._

Never in a million years would she live down the mortification. She would never be able to look at the king again.

_I'm going to have to go live in a hut in Zangarmarsh._

"Now, that's not what a man wants to hear his lady say the first thing of a morning," a male voice said, and Braelyn cried out in shock as Jack suddenly appeared by her bedside. He did not look happy, his brown eyes absent of the mischievous glint Braelyn had come to associate with the rogue.

Jack handed Braelyn a vial of health potion. "Drink this, love. We need to talk."

Confused, Braelyn did as he asked, thanking the Light when the potion took effect. Her headache faded, and she turned to face her fiancée, able to keep her eyes open without squinting in pain. "Why are you here, Jack?" she asked.

"I came to get my ring back."

"Huh, what?" Braelyn said, confused. "You don't want to marry me anymore?" She was unsure if she'd heard Jack correctly. Was the hangover still messing with her mind?

"Oh, I still want you as my wife, Rae," Jack said, reaching out to clasp her left hand. His grip was tight, and there was a fierce glow in his eyes. "Now more than ever. The king, however, has forbidden it."

"Wh... what?" Braelyn stammered. "He actually spoke to you?" A seed of hope took root in her heart. King Varian had been serious.

"He summoned me to the Keep this morning," Jack sneered. "Him and his little lap dog, Mathias Shaw. They told me just what to expect if I forced you into marrying me, or if I let your secret become public knowledge. I believe the words they used most often were 'Stockades' and 'chopping block'."

"I... don't know what to say," Braelyn said as Jack slid the engagement ring off her finger and put it in his pocket.

"Praise the Light?" Jack suggested with a hard smile. "I know you were _reluctant_ about accepting me, so I don't expect you to be sad about this." He got up and walked to the door, turning to give her one last look before vanishing.

What Braelyn didn't realize was that Jack Devereaux did not like to lose. He may have freed her from their engagement, but it would come at a price. Amlen would see to that. As Jack exited the Gilded Rose, he gave his fellow rogue a subtle nod of the head. In less than an hour, half of Stormwind would know about Braelyn's antics with the king.

Jack grinned as he mounted his gryphon and headed for Goldshire's Lion's Pride Inn. He needed to see a man about a Hawke.

* * *

><p>Instead of going straight home, Braelyn decided to spend a couple of days in Stormwind. The first item on her agenda was to take a bath and sleep off the lingering affects of her rum spree.<p>

She called for the maid, Lena, and asked her to bring hot water. The normally shy girl nodded her head, but instead of leaving, stood in the doorway, staring at Braelyn with curiosity. "Lena?" Braelyn prompted. "The water, please?" The maid jumped guilty, and scampered from the room, blushing.

_That was odd, _Braelyn thought. Then she looked in the mirror and grimaced. The girl had probably never seen a woman dressed so nicely, yet look so terrible.

Several hours later, Braelyn descended into the dining room and discovered that Lena wasn't the only one to have developed a sudden case of the stares. The bar fell silent and its patrons focused on Braelyn with an intensity that made her cheeks burn without understanding why. Some of the people had curious looks, like Lena's, but were some were amused, and others were disapproving.

One woman even called out a cheerful, "Well done, girl. Well done!"

Braelyn didn't understand it. She was dressed in a perfectly acceptable set of mail armor, her new bow clipped to her back, and her hair tied back in a tidy bun. She wasn't naked, dirty, or on fire. Why, then, were they staring?

Instead of eating in the dining room, Braelyn decided to eat up in her room. She placed her order, and headed up the stairs as quickly as she could. As she left, the room behind her erupted into furious whispering.

_What in Anduin Lothar's name was going on?_

The next day, things were even worse. Braelyn decided to go to the Mage's Quarter and Cathedral Square to buy some gifts for her parents, hoping to placate their wrath when they found out she would not be seeing Lord Devereaux again. Everywhere she went she was followed by the stares and whispers of just about everyone she passed.

When she confronted a group of draenei priests who were staring at her like she was a succubus, they said nothing, as did the worgen hunter who wolfwhistled at her by the canals.

Did news about her short lived engagement get out? Did Jack somehow spin things so that she appeared to be the unacceptable one?

That seemed likely when Braelyn went to the orphanage to donate some toys and the matron refused to let her see the children. The older woman said that the children needed to be protected from bad influences, without explaining why Braelyn was considered as such.

It got so bad that Braelyn returned to the Gilded Rose early. When she got inside, the stares made her snap. "What the bloody hell is going on?" she demanded in frustration, glaring at a nearby dwarven death knight.

"Nothing, lassie, just enjoyin' tha view," he replied with a salacious wink, and Braelyn squeaked with indignation as his companion, a gnome warrior, _pinched her on the arse_! Two minutes later and both men were on the floor, Braelyn's mail-clad foot firmly lodged between the warrior's legs.

Their friends went to defend them, but someone else called out to discourage them. "Attack her and she'll stick the SI: 7 onto ya!"

"What?" Braelyn asked in shock, allowing the death knight and warrior to get up and leave. Her having any power over the SI: 7 was laughable. No one would answer her. With a string of curses in Thalasian, she stomped upstairs and slammed her door, blocking out those Light damned whispers.

An hour later there was a soft knock on her door. Braelyn opened it to find Lena carrying a food-laden tray and a letter. Braelyn stood aside to let the girl pass, noticing that the girl was no longer staring in curiosity. Instead, the maid seemed rather awestruck.

"Lena?" Braelyn asked. "Will you please tell me why people are staring at me and whispering all the time?" The girl looked startled, and shook her head, heading for the door. "Please, Lena!" Braelyn begged. "It's driving me crazy. I don't understand what's happening."

The girl hesitated, but seeing Braelyn's desperate face, she nodded once. "It's because of you an' the king, miss," Lena said.

"Me and the king?" Braelyn asked in confusion. "Can you be more specific?"

"Well, the rumour 'round town is that you're the king's mistress, miss," the maid added, face turning cherry red. "They say that you and 'Is Majesty were seen kissin' and dancin' in the Keep."

It was Braelyn's turn to blush. She was so mortified that she couldn't speak for a good minute, Lena staring at her as if hoping the older woman would confess to the affair.

"Who? Who has been saying these things?" Braelyn asked, even though she had a fair idea who at least one of the rumormongers was.

Lena shrugged. "Everyone, miss."

Braelyn stood there, eyes twitching, which Lena took as her cue to leave. It was many minutes before she could bring herself to look at what the maid had brought her. Innkeeper Alison had sent her up a mug of ale, which Braelyn decided to avoid, and bowl of hearty seafood stew. Warm, freshly baked bread accompanied it.

Sitting alongside the bowl was a rolled up parchment tied with a royal blue ribbon. Braelyn's heart started pounding as she picked it up, rolling it in her hand to reveal the lion's head seal. The crown upon the lion's brow indicated that the letter came from King Varian himself.

"Oh, dear gods, why hast thou forsaken me?" Braelyn intoned dramatically as she almost crushed the missive in her fist. She sighed, breaking the seal and unrolling the parchment.

_Miss Hawke,_

_Please report to Stormwind Keep at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. There is something we must discuss._

_Varian Wrynn._

"Truly, I am forsaken," Braelyn said, before dashing to the fire and consigning the king's letter to the flames. She didn't need it falling into the hands of Lena or any of the people downstairs.

"What is he thinking?" Braelyn murmured to herself, panic beginning to set in. "I can't go to the Keep! If people see me there it will make everything worse." Besides, she didn't _want _to see the king. What she was supposed to say? 'Sorry I made a drunken arse of myself and kissed you silly'? And what if he decided that he may as well make the rumours true? She didn't want to be the king's mistress.

Braelyn paced the floor, trying to think of a way to get out of the King's command.

Three hours later, the town clock struck 10 pm. Braelyn had yet to think of a plausible course of action, so she decided to fall back on what Andorien affectionately called the Hunter's Classic. Haphazardly throwing her gear in her bag, she went downstairs and paid her bill. She then headed for the gryphon roost and flew to Goldshire.

In short: she ran away.

* * *

><p>When Braelyn got home, her parents were still up, so she tried sneaking up to her room. Unfortunately, Bitey heard her and launched himself at her, howling in happiness.<p>

"Braelyn Maree Hawke, get in here right this minute!" Her mother yelled. Braelyn did so, hanging her head as she hoped they were just upset about Jack, and not because they'd heard about the king.

Ellysan Hawke was standing in the middle of their lounge room, looking furious. Her husband sat on the couch, his weapon in hand. The man was muttering to himself about needing a bigger sword and not being able to believe he had to fight his king for his daughter's honour.

As soon as she saw her daughter, Ellysan began a long, and very loud, tirade about how Braelyn shouldn't have kept such a secret from them. "How long has it been going on?" She demanded, glaring at Braelyn. "Since you returned from Silvermoon?"

"It hasn't been going on at all!" Braelyn cried in an effort to defend herself. Her father looked at her sharply.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I am _not _having an affair with King Varian."

"Don't lie to us Braelyn!" Ellysan snapped. Braelyn glared at her mother, but her mother cut her off. "Lord Devereaux came to visit yesterday. One of his servant's sons is part of King Varian's personal guard, and he told the Lord that he had seen you and the king _cavorting _with his own eyes. He said that you had kissed each other, right there in the courtyard, for anyone to see!"

_Gods damn it, Jack! _Braelyn thought with a groan.

"Is it true, sweetheart?" Jasper asked, with a frown.

Braelyn sighed. "It's true that I kissed the king, Dad," she confessed. "But that's all it was; a drunken kiss. It didn't mean anything," she added, which was a blatant lie. It had meant a great deal at the time, but she was not telling them about Jack's proposal. It would make her mother ten times angrier.

"Oh, Braelyn," her mother said, her anger vanishing quicker than a rogue on a battlefield. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm guessing she wasn't thinking," Jasper said, shaking his head. "Rum, right?" he added with a quick smile at his daughter as she nodded her head sheepishly.

"What are we going to do, Jasper? How will we deal with this?"

"I'm not sure there's much we can do," Jasper said. "Short of waiting it out."

"He's right, Mum," Braelyn added. "People will get bored eventually. It will be forgotten soon enough."

"I hope so, Sweetie," her mother sighed, and Braelyn gave her a quick hug before heading upstairs to bed.

As she slipped between her sheets, Braelyn tried not to think about the meeting she'd run away from. Just how mad would the king be when she when she didn't show up in the morning?

* * *

><p>Noon the next day saw Braelyn in her garden, trying to comfort an upset Cameron. Her youngest, and favourite, student was in tears because he was no longer going to be able to undergo training. The Stonefield's had had a disastrous crop that year, and had to fire Cameron's father, Bradley. As a result, Bradley and all three of his sons were forced to take jobs at the Fargodeep Mine.<p>

Braelyn was devastated. The mines were dangerous; prone to sudden collapses and kobold incursions, it was no place for anyone to work. Disease among the workers was rife, the hours were long, and the work itself was hard, even for the adults. For children, it was even worse, and they weren't even paid as much.

She had never felt so angry, or so powerless, as she did holding the little boy in her arms. She tried to convince him that everything would be all right, but knew it was a lie.

Eventually, Cameron stopped crying and detached himself from Braelyn's waist. He stepped away, looking behind her as he did so. The boy gasped, before dropping to his knees. "Your Majesty!" he cried.

Braelyn stiffened, not wanting to turn around. Duty forced her hand, however. She turned, dropping down into a curtsy. "Your Majesty," she murmured softly, noticing with alarm the anger burning in the monarch's eyes, as well as those of her parents', who were standing at his side.

Bitey had attached himself to the king's ankles, gnawing on his plate armor boots.

"Jasper, may I speak with your daughter in private?" Varian asked, his voice stern. His sapphire blue eyes pinned Braelyn in place, and she shivered.

_Please say no. Please say no. Please say no._

"Of course, my king," Jasper said, bowing. "Ellysan and I will be inside if you need us." With that, Braelyn's parents abandoned her to her fate.

"Child," the king said, addressing Cameron, who was staring at Varian with an awestruck expression, "you are brave indeed to help take responsibility for your family. Your father should be very proud of you." He stepped forward and knelt before the boy, handing him a few sovereigns. "Take this and go buy yourself some treats."

Cameron's eyes lit up with joy. "Thank you, your majesty!" he cried, and ran off towards the town centre.

For a moment, Braelyn was too touched to fear the king's anger. That changed when Varian stood up and walked towards her, not stopping until he was almost on top of her. Because she only came up to his chin, she had to tilt her back to look up at him. His eyes were still radiating anger, and his jaw was clenched tight.

"I do not appreciate being disobeyed, Miss Hawke," he said.

"I'm sorry," Braelyn responded. She tried to step back, to give herself some space, but the king grabbed her arm, holding her in place.

"Are you?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I didn't mean to offend you, your highness, I just panicked."

"I see," the king replied, slipping her hand under his arm and guiding her to a garden bench. It was her favourite, nestled amongst her mother's beloved roses.

Braelyn was surprised when the king did not sit next to her, instead falling to one knee in front of her. "My King?" she asked, becoming flustered when the king removed his gauntlets and took hold of her left hand with one of his own. His free hand pulled something out of one of the pouches attached to his belt.

A gold band set with a large sapphire surrounded by small diamonds.

_No no no no no no no. Not again._

"I will not allow you, or your good parents, to be dishonoured by the behaviour of a man who cannot stand to lose," the king said, practically snarling, and Braelyn's suspicions about Jack's role in starting the rumours were confirmed. "And I will not be condemned by those who are beneath me."

Braelyn could say nothing, her whole body gone rigid in shock. _Her _marry the _King of Stormwind? _The thought somehow managed to upset her more than the idea of marrying Jack.

She must have tried to flee, because she felt the king move slightly, pushing her back down. Her mouth flapped open and closed a few times before she finally spoke, saying the first thing that came to mind.

_"Have you gone mad?!"_

_..._

**AN - **whoooooo boy. The reason for Varian's anger and his comment about 'those beneath me' will be revealed next chapter. There's a reason why he's so pissed.

Next chapter: Braelyn's second proposal is dealt with, and we learn just why the King was so angry.


	6. Long walk off a short pier

"What did you just say?" King Varian asked, his voice a deadly whisper. His eyes bored into hers.

"I can't marry you!" Braelyn blurted out. "You can't marry me! _We cannot get married!_"

"And why is that?" Varian asked. He was slightly amused by Braelyn's hysteria, though anger was still the dominant emotion governing his behaviour.

"I'm a commoner! The people will never..."

"The people will be overjoyed to see one of their own as Queen," Varian replied, sitting next to her. "They'd be satisfied with anyone who they thought made me happy." He reached out and lifted her chin towards him. "Besides," he added, "you're far from common. Your parents have just as much clout, and almost as much money, as any noble. And therein lies most of the problem."

"What do you mean, my king?" Braelyn asked, suddenly entranced by the scar running across Varian's face. She almost reached out and traced it with her fingers, but refrained, not wanting to provoke the king's wrath any further.

"If it were just the common people talking and making a fuss, I would not feel compelled to make such a grand gesture," the king explained. "They would eventually move on to new subjects of gossip, and most of them accept that, as the king, I have the right to associate with whomever I feel like."

The king stood, and Braelyn was relieved when he moved away. His presence was overwhelming; he was so tall, and his armor made him seem far larger than he really was. And his eyes... his gaze was mesmerizing.

"The house of nobles are another story entirely," Varian said, scowling. "They dare to feel that they have every right to interfere in my life, to try to dictate my actions. Fools."

"Wouldn't they rather you marry one of their daughters?" Braelyn asked. "Surely I would make a poor choice compared to a noblewoman?"

"I'm sure they would like me to choose one of their own," the king admitted, "but, like I just said, your family is considered noble by many. The fact that you were engaged to Lord Devereaux, however briefly, also speaks to your 'worth'."

"They know about that?" Braelyn asked, surprised. The king nodded, a hard smile twisting his lips.

"Yes, Jack made sure of that. He has gained quite a bit of sympathy from his fellow lords because of what has happened. The house of nobles is actually quite offended that I dared take the intended wife of another aristocrat for a mistress. They think that the only way to redeem myself is by making you my queen. That way both your honour and his is upheld."

"That is the most fucked up thing I have ever heard," Braelyn stated, not bothering to censor herself in front of the king. She jumped slightly when Varian let out a short bark of laughter.

"I agree with you there," he said. "Unfortunately, I do have to keep the nobles reasonably happy if I wish to remain in control of my throne, or even stay alive." He shook his head, as if wishing to deny the necessity of dealing with them.

"Any other objections?" he asked.

"I don't want to play second fiddle to a ghost," Braelyn said, thinking wistfully of her parents' marriage. They were so devoted to each other, so in love, even after all these years.

"Excuse me?" the king asked, staring down at her with those too-intense eyes.

"I could never replace Queen Tiffin," Braelyn explained, wincing at the fierce expression that crossed the king's face. "I don't want to live in her shadow, unable to compete with her memory.

And what of Prince Anduin? Shouldn't he have a say in this?"

"My son has often urged me to remarry," the king said. "He makes no secret of his desire for a sibling or two. Even three." His sly smirk was back as he saw the blush creep across Braelyn's cheeks. "No one would ever be able to replace Tiffin in his, or my, life, but does that mean I should spend the rest of my life alone?"

It was an earnest question, with such genuine longing behind it, that Braelyn felt guilty for bringing the late queen up. For the first time, she really thought about how lonely the king must be without Tiffin Wrynn by his side.

"Of course not," Braelyn said, head drooping with guilt. "I just meant... "

"I know what you meant, Miss Hawke, but I wish you would tell me what your real argument against marrying me is." He strode forward, once again lifting her face to his gaze. "What is it that scares you so?"

Braelyn stared at the king. She wasn't afraid of marrying him, was she? No, she just knew that it was a stupid idea. Neither of them loved the other, and she would make an awful queen. But the longer she gazed at him, the longer he looked _into _her, she realised that she _was_ afraid. Not of Varian the man, because she thought she could easily find happiness with him, but of Varian the King.

Marriage to the king would be even more confining than marriage to Jack. Not only would she be forced to give up so many of the things she enjoyed, but she would also be in the public eye constantly. She would never be able to go anywhere without a guard, never be able to speak her mind without fear of offending someone important. Every little thing she said and did would be judged, reflecting not just on her, but also on the king.

She would have power and riches beyond measure, but not the freedom to walk down the street unattended.

She would cease to be Braelyn Hawke, a person in her own right. She would be Braelyn Wrynn, Queen of Stormwind, a figure of the Alliance.

"I fear a prison," she admitted, startling the king with her terrified honesty. "To be locked in a gilded cage, with no hope of escape."

"You see marriage to me as a prison?" the king asked angrily. "With me as a jailor?"

"Yes," Braelyn said, flinching as King Varian growled.

"Very well," he said, "I will not force you the way Devereaux did. Just remember, when the condemnation of the people becomes too much, that I offered you a way out. After all, you will be judged far more harshly than me."

The king stalked off, and Braelyn felt oddly guilty, as if she'd committed a heinous crime. He paused briefly by the backdoor, turning to give her another penetrating stare. "Before I leave, Miss Hawke, let me ask you this... are you really so free here?"

He did not wait for a response, leaving Braelyn sitting alone on the bench, her thoughts in chaos.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Braelyn to discover that the answer to King Varian's question was no. She wasn't free in Goldshire. For the past year she had been trapped in the town, first by the hope of Rommath sending for her, and then by the fear of running into him and being considered his enemy.<p>

Hell, for the past three days she hadn't even been able to leave the house, too afraid of the judgemental stares of the villagers.

She got up and went downstairs, calling for her pets. She was tired of being afraid. She was going to go the village, and if anyone gave her any grief, she'd just stare them down. Or sic Bitey on them.

Her parents seemed relieved to see her leaving the house. They'd been so concerned for her over the past few days, especially when she'd told them about the king's proposal. Braelyn had expected her mother to be upset that she'd rejected King Varian, but to her surprise, Ellysan agreed with her daughter. "You made the right choice, sweetie," she'd said.

Jasper Hawke _said_ he agreed with his wife, but Braelyn suspected that he was a little disappointed that she'd declined the opportunity to become the king's wife. He admired Varian Wrynn greatly, and considered him a worthy match for his daughter.

Half way to the village, she heard a voice call out to her. "Miss Hawke! Miss Hawke!" Turning, Braelyn saw Cameron come running towards her. She felt guilt wash over her. She hadn't even thought to check up on him and his family, to see how they were handling working in the mines.

"Cameron," she said, smiling brightly and enveloping the boy in a hug. "How are you?"

"Guess what the king did, Miss Hawke?" Cameron asked with great excitement, ignoring her question. "He gave my father a job!"

"What?" asked Braelyn. "Where?"

"In Stormwind! King Varian said he had a farm on the outskirts of the city, near the lake, and that he needed someone to manage it for him. He offered it to Dad!" the young boy did a little jig. "The best part is, the job pays so well that Missy can go to the Cathedral to be a paladin and I can start training as a hunter again!"

Braelyn was gobsmacked. The king did that for Cameron? He did such a nice thing for her student, even though he was furious with her? For a moment, she almost regretted declining his proposal.

"That's amazing news, Cameron!" she said, kissing his cheek. "I'm so happy for you. I'll even write you a letter of introduction to give the hunter trainer in Stormwind."

"Thanks, Miss Hawke!" Cameron chirped. "I'll come see you before we leave, I promise!" With that the young boy ran off, waving to Braelyn before he disappeared behind some trees. She couldn't help but grin at the boy's excitement. She was so relieved his family was spared working the mines.

When she arrived in the town centre, Braelyn headed to the Lion's Pride, hoping that her cousin was there to talk to. Odariah would know what was going on in Stormwind, so could fill her cousin in on all the latest gossip.

"Ah, here she is! The woman who would've been queen!" Chelinka called from where she sat between a grinning Odariah and a put-upon Andorien. At the mage's words, activity in the inn screeched to a halt, everybody turning to stare at her.

"How the bloody hell do you know about that?" Braelyn hissed as she sat down, blushing furiously.

"One of the guard's came here after the king's visit and got a bit tipsy," Odariah said.

"And he just blurted out King Varian's business?" Braelyn questioned.

"Pretty much," Odariah replied with a shrug. Andorien shot Braelyn a sympathetic look.

"You know, Braelyn," Chelinka said mischievously, "as the queen, you could fire people for doing stuff like that. Or have them killed! Even better!"

"If only you'd said yes," Odariah sighed dramatically.

Braelyn glared at her two friends. "Are you two looking for an arrow to the face? Because I'm happy to oblige." She shook her head as the two women laughed, and turned her attention to Andorien. "What have the people being saying?" she asked the druid.

"Opinion is divided," Andorien replied. "Half the town thinks you should have done the 'decent' thing and accepted him instead of playing with his emotions and reveling in your immoral behaviour." He stopped when Chelinka spat a mouthful of whisky over him as she started laughing.

"And the other half?" Braelyn said wearily, signaling Farley for a drink of her own.

"Say that you did an honourable thing in refusing to marry him. They really respect your willingness to sacrifice your own good character and self interest in order to avoid disrespecting Queen Tiffin's memory."

"Well, I suppose I should be grateful that not everyone thinks I'm an evil hussy," Braelyn said bitterly. Chelinka grinned and pat her on the back.

"Don't worry about it, Braelyn!" she said cheerfully. "We both know that in a few months time, people will have moved on to a new scandal and forgotten all about you. You may even go back to being the town angel instead of the town floozy."

"Chelinka!" Andorien boomed in an angry voice. "That is enough!"

As Chelinka stuck her tongue out at the irate druid, Braelyn downed her whisky, trying to ignore the sound of whispering behind her. _A few months, _she thought desperately. _I can do that._

* * *

><p>It was 2 o'clock in the morning, a cold wind rattling the windows as a storm raged outside. Braelyn had come home from her trip to the Lion's Pride just before the rain started, and was now half asleep. She jerked awake when she heard the sound of her bedroom door being locked, her heart starting to race.<p>

Faking a sleepy yawn, Braelyn rolled over. Her eyes searched her room for an intruder, but saw nothing. She may have been imaging things, but she doubted it. Her instincts were telling her that someone was definitely in the room with her.

Knowing it would be difficult to fight off the intruder if they caught her lying down, Braelyn sat up quickly, reaching for the dagger she kept on her bedside table. She let out a startled cry as a hand grabbed her wrist, and a man's body winked into existence. She attempted to scream for her parents, but her attacker's free hand clamped down on her mouth, and his leather clad body forced her back onto the bed.

"Calm down, love, it's just me," he said, and Braelyn realised that her attacker was Jack Devereaux. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just have something I need to tell you. Understand?"

Braelyn understood, all right. She understood she needed to slap this man up the back side of his head. Which is exactly what she did when he let her go, landing several heavy blows before he managed to duck out of her reach.

"Heh," Jack said, rubbing his head sheepishly, "I guess I had that coming."

"You sure did," Braelyn spat, eyeing him with contempt. "Now say whatever the hell you came here to say before I come back to my senses and call my parents in here. Then leave. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Ouch, love," Jack said, grinning when Braelyn stuck her both her middle fingers up at him. He then walked up to her, putting his smiling lips right by her ear. Braelyn thought about hitting him again, but all thoughts of violence fled her mind as he began speaking,

With one whispered sentence, Jack broke Braelyn's heart all over again.

* * *

><p>With a small smile, Braelyn watched as Cameron run around his new house showing her all the little details with as much excitement as her father showed when telling one of his war stories. She wanted to be happy for him, but since Jack's nocturnal visit three weeks ago, she struggled to find happiness in anything.<p>

Braelyn had regressed into the depressed state she'd been in when she'd finally understood that she would never see Rommath again. Things had gotten so bad that she'd quit working as the Goldshire hunter trainer a week ago. Even now, she had forgone weapons and armour for her trip to Stormwind, dressing instead in linen pants and shirt, her hair tied in a simple braid. She had left all of her pets at home.

Her parents and friends were worried about her, especially since she refused to talk to them about what was upsetting her so. She had tried to tell them, but every time she opened her mouth to do so, she choked.

She spent most of her time in silence.

When Cameron's father called his son away to do some chores, Braelyn headed down to the small jetty leading into Olivia's Pond. The wind coming off the lake was freezing, but she didn't care. It was peaceful, and quiet, and she was able to take some comfort in the area's stark beauty. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and assumed that Cameron's father had come to speak to her. The man thought that his good fortune was the result of Braelyn's 'influence' with the king and was thanking her every chance he got.

Hoping to prevent another round of enthusiastic thank-you's, Braelyn opened her mouth to speak first. "It's so beautiful here," she said, gesturing to the lake in front of her.

"That it is," came the reply, but it was not the voice Braelyn was expecting.

"Your Majesty!" she said in shock, spinning around and curtsying. She wished that she'd left her hair down so that he couldn't see her flustered face.

_What is he doing here?_

"Braelyn Hawke," the king said, in an emotionless voice. "I've been looking for you."

* * *

><p>As soon as Varian saw Braelyn's lonely figure standing on the jetty, he understood why her parents had come to him in such a state. She was thinner than he remembered, and poorly dressed for the weather. He could see her depression in the slump of the shoulders, and in the way she wrapped her arms around herself. Like she was trying to hold herself together.<p>

When he spoke to her, she startled like a fawn disturbed by hunters. She kept her head down, refusing to look at him, which Varian found unacceptable. He closed the distance between them, tilting her chin up with his hand.

Her gaze avoided his, but he saw the exhaustion in her face, the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was so pale, he could see each and every one of the freckles scattered across her nose. He noticed with alarm that she was unarmed, and none of her pets came forward to protect her.

"What has happened to you, Braelyn?" Varian asked. "Your parents say that for the past three weeks you've been acting like you did after your return from Silvermoon." He tightened his grip as Braelyn flinched and tried to pull away.

"It is nothing, my king," she said weakly and again tried to move away. Again, he prevented it. "Nothing that you need to worry about."

"Do not lie to your king," he warned. "And trust me when I say that your parents have very much made it my business."

Braelyn's ocean blue eyes flicked up to his and did not look away. Varian had the odd impression that she _couldn't _look away, as if he'd hypnotised her. "Tell me."

"Three weeks ago, I woke up to find Jack Devereaux in my bedroom," she began, so quietly that Varian had to strain to hear her. He growled loudly, and then rubbed Braelyn's cheek with his thumb to comfort her when she flinched in fear.

"Did he hurt you?" he demanded, looking the young woman over for injuries. He made a note to get Mathias Shaw to keep a closer on the rogue nobleman. He didn't want that man anywhere near Braelyn again. "Did he touch you in any way?"

"N... no," she whispered, "it was nothing like that. He just wanted to talk to me."

"And what did that bastard have to say?"

"He... he," Braelyn stammered, and Varian saw that she was about to start crying. He sighed. Must every conversation he has with this woman involve her yelling at him or dissolving into tears? He idly wondered what it would like to have a normal chat with her, perhaps over dinner or an a walk through the city.

"Do not cry, Miss Hawke," he commanded. He winced at how cold he sounded, but it worked. Braelyn's tears vanished, and she seemed to gather a bit of her old strength back.

"He told me," she said, louder this time, "that Rommath has gotten married."

"I thought you said you were over him," Varian said. It was not the most diplomatic of responses, and Braelyn looked as if he'd struck her.

"I did, and I am... mostly," she said, a pained look in her eyes. Varian did not like seeing it, much preferring the stubborn glint she'd sported when he'd first met her. He toyed with the idea of sending someone to deal with the Grand Magister. Crimson Fox, maybe... but, no. Too risky to the peace.

"Then why are you in such a state?"

"The shock, I guess. The sudden onslaught of memories. The grief of what could have been," she replied with a dejected sigh. "The speed in which he moved on with another also hurts. Especially considering his new wife is a complete bitch."

"You know the woman?" Varian inquired.

Braelyn nodded her head, and looked disgusted. "A warlock who once treated me like slave and attempted to steal Rommath away from me," she scoffed. "Looks like she won after all," she added bitterly.

Varian did not know how to answer that, so he merely stroked her cheek again and decided to mention what had really made him seek her out.

"Your father thinks that _I _did this to you," he said, and Braelyn gasped.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Why?"

"Let's see," Varian replied, stroking his chin. "Approximately three weeks ago you and I are exposed as 'secret lovers.' I propose, you reject me, claiming to be not good enough for me. I return home a scorned lover, and a few days later you become a depressed wreck who is extremely reluctant to travel to Stormwind. This is taken to mean that you lied about not loving me, and that I have refused to continue our relationship, therefore breaking your heart."

"That's crazy!" Braelyn declared, running a hand through her hair. "I'll take care of it, Your Highness, I promise! I'll talk to my father, explain everything. Once mother knows, she'll help calm him down."

"It's too late for that, Miss Hawke," Varian replied.

"What do you mean?" Braelyn asked, stepping back until she was standing on the edge of the jetty. She looked fearful.

"Well, after telling me how much he loves his 'little girl' and what he'd do to protect her, he ordered me to make you my bride. He said that if I do not return to the Keep with you on my arm, and my ring on your finger, he'll challenge me to a duel. In public. Knowing Jasper as well as I do, I am in no doubt as to his sincerity."

"He can't do that! He's old! You'll slaughter him! " Braelyn said, aghast. "You're the king, can't you just order him to go away and then forget it ever happened?"

"I'd like nothing more than to do that," Varian replied, "but he issued his threat in the throne room."

Varian actually enjoyed the next few seconds, watching as Braelyn's animated face changed from one emotion to another in rapid succession. He could tell she was trying to figure a way to extricate herself from this mess.

"Why do these things _always _happen to me?" Braelyn raged, glaring at Varian like it was all his fault.

"Luck?" Varian suggested. He was tempted to laugh at the nonplussed look she shot him. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

Varian reached for the pouch at his belt, causing Braelyn to take another step backwards.

"Don't you dare!" she yelled, pointing at him, not caring at all that he was the king. "Don't you dare propose to me again!"

He grinned. "Are you always going to be so insubordinate?" he asked. He pulled out the ring, and as he did so, Braelyn took another step.

But she was out of ground to step on.

With a startled cry, she stepped onto thin air, falling backwards. Varian surged forward in an attempt to catch her, but missed. Braelyn fell into the icy water, her head striking a little boat tied to the jetty.

Varian cried out for help as her unconscious form started sinking beneath the pond's surface. Ignoring the fact he was wearing plate armor, he jumped in after her.

_Light protect her!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>please don't throw things at me for marrying Rommath off to That Woman. Crimson Fox belongs to Amcm74.

Next chapter: Does Braelyn survive the dive off the jetty? Will Jasper Hawke force Varian into an epic showdown in Stormwind Keep? Read on to find out.


	7. The king is a tricky bastard

Any hopes that Varian or Braelyn may have still held about the rumours surrounding them actually fading away were dashed. Jasper Hawke's ultimatum struck the first blow. Varian Wrynn running into Stormwind Keep with a half-dead Braelyn in his arms was the knock out punch.

When she woke, Braelyn found herself tucked up in a luxurious bed with a bandage wound around her head, feeling the after effects of some potent healing magic. She struggled to sit up, groaning as she did so.

"Darling! You're awake!" Ellysan Hawke cried, and a second later, Braelyn found herself wrapped in her mother's comforting embrace.

"Thank the light," Jasper added, sitting on the bed and stroking his daughter's hair.

"Dad, this is all your fault!" Braelyn croaked, remembering how she ended up in the pond. "What were you thinking challenging the king like that?"

"I was thinking of your wellbeing," he replied. He gave Braelyn a warning look when she looked like she wanted to start an argument.

She huffed. "Where am I? How did I get out of the pond?"

"The king jumped in after you. He pulled you out, then brought you here to the Keep," Ellysan said. "He actually carried you here in his arms. It was quite dramatic."

"He carried me?! To the keep?" Braelyn was horrified. "Please tell me this isn't his bedroom." She groaned when her parents gave her a 'sorry, can't do that' look. "What was he thinking?"

"I'm pretty sure he was thinking about saving your life, ungrateful girl," her mother scolded her. "Honestly, Braelyn, is the thought of being the king's wife really that repulsive?"

Braelyn was unable to answer as a knock sounded on the door. Jasper got up to answer it, stepping back with a bow as the king walked in.

"You're awake, thank the Light," King Varian said, as he took in Braelyn's form. He seemed relieved to see her alive, and she realised that it must have been quite alarming for him to have her life in his hands after what had happened to his wife. Her anger and anxiety receded slightly, and she gave him a small smile.

"I am fine, Your Majesty," she said. "Thank you for saving my life."

The King nodded, coming closer and looking her over for any sign of injury or distress. Braelyn looked down at herself. Her linen pants and shirt had been replaced with a soft green dress. She wondered who it belonged to, praying that it wasn't the late Queen Tiffin's.

"I thought it best not to let you drown, all things considered," he said, giving her father a pointed look. Jasper had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "Are you feeling well?"

"I am fine, thank you," Braelyn replied, suddenly awkward. She looked down at her hands as she twisted the blankets between her fingers.

"Jasper, Ellysan, will you excuse us? I need to speak with Braelyn in private."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Jasper said, taking his leave. Braelyn's head shot up and she gave her mother a pleading look. Ellysan just gave her an encouraging smile before curtsying to the king and following her husband out the door.

The king walked over to the bed and sat down. The was a quiet 'clink' as he dropped something on the bedside table. Braelyn took one look at it and shook her head in defiance.

"I am still not marrying you."

"The throne room is already full of people, common and noble alike, inquiring about the welfare of 'my Lady'," he said in a tired voice. "Do you really think you can keep going on like this, Miss Hawke?"

"Yes," Braelyn said stubbornly. "I'm younger than you. I can wait; they won't make me marry your corpse."

The king's patience was not infinite.

"Put the damn ring on your finger and agree to marry me already, light curse it!" he snapped. "Or do you _want _me to slaughter your father in a duel?"

Braelyn glared up at him and finally saw the king for the warrior he was, and the gladiator he'd once been. His sapphire eyes were blazing, and his face was all angry lines. She didn't enjoy being the cause, or the focus, of such fury.

But she didn't think she'd enjoy being queen, either.

"Would you really kill my father?" she asked him.

"I would dishonour him if I did not take the duel seriously," Varian replied, without a hint of regret. "Your father is a decent man, Braelyn, I would never do that to him willingly."

Braelyn knew the king's words should please her, even if they did refer to an event that could claim her father's life. They showed how much her father was valued by the king, and by the Alliance. She was far from happy, though.

Braelyn felt resentment flow through her. If her father managed to win, she would be expected to marry King Varian, as the king's life would be spared. If Varian won, not only would her father be dead, but the rumours would continue unabated, leading to the expectation that she would marry the king. If Braelyn did not meet those expectations... there would be no place far enough to hide from the fallout.

There was no easy escape route for her.

With a sigh of resignation, Braelyn picked up the ring and slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, much to her annoyance.

"That was the most romantic proposal I've ever heard. You must have practised for days," she said sarcastically. "Seriously, though, even Jack put in more of an effort."

A vein in the king's temple twitched. "And look how well that worked out," he growled.

"Point taken," Braelyn said after a slight pause. She stared down at the ring. It was so beautiful, but she swore she heard a cage door swinging shut as she looked at it.

"I'll need to send the couriers out to make the announcement," the king... _Varian_, said. "I'll be back as soon as I can so we can make arrangements."

"If you must," Braelyn said, but the anger was gone from her voice. She looked up at her betrothed. "I'm going to make a horrible queen."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Varian said, giving her a small smile before he turned and walked away. Braelyn was surprised, and a little touched, by his confidence.

* * *

><p>Braelyn wasn't left alone for long. Not five minutes after Varian left her, someone knocked on the door and asked permission to enter.<p>

It was Prince Anduin.

"Your Highness!" Braelyn exclaimed, sitting up and attempting to tidy herself up. The young prince smiled at her as he took a seat by her bed.

"There is no need to be formal, Braelyn," Anduin said. "Not when my father has just told me the happy news."

"I, uh, don't know that 'happy' is the right way to describe it, Your... Anduin," she replied.

Braelyn studied the young man who was soon to be her stepson. He looked nothing like his father, with golden hair and wide blue eyes. He seemed so much more relaxed, and innocent, than Varian, and she found herself hoping that would never change. Anduin was a sweet child, and should be spared the cruelty inflicted on his parents.

"This is so awkward," Braelyn muttered, and Anduin looked at her quizzically.

"How so?"

"You're only ten years younger than me," she explained. "It seems bizarre that I'll be calling you my stepson soon." She paused as another awkward issue popped into her head. She disguised her discomfort by reaching for a drink, smiling when the prince handed it to her.

"I'm glad my father will no longer be alone," Anduin said, looking at Braelyn with respect. "He deserves someone to watch over him."

"He has you," Braelyn pointed out.

"It's not the same," the prince replied, and Braelyn knew that it was true. Having a child was _not_ the same as having someone to lay by your side during the long, cold hours of the night.

"Your... Anduin, I don't know how to talk to you about this," she began, looking at him with a tight smile.

"You wish to discuss my mother," he said, smiling slightly at her surprised look. "It's all right," he assured her. "I would want to do the same thing, if I were in your position."

"I just want you to know," Braelyn said quickly, wishing to get the topic dealt with before she changed her mind, "that I am not going to try to replace your mother. I could never be Queen Tiffin, and I will not pretend otherwise."

"I'm glad," Anduin replied, laughing when Braelyn looked shocked. "From what people say, no one ever could replace her, and I'd pity anyone attempting to do so."

There was a long silence, but it was not an uncomfortable one. Braelyn was struck by how mature and poised Anduin was, how calm and steady of temper. There was no hint of the anger that Varian carried, no signs of the scars that covered his father's spirit.

It was the Prince who broke the silence. "I don't remember my mother," he said softly. "It is something that has always saddened me, especially when I hear my friends talking about theirs. I often dream about her, and wonder what life would have been like if she had lived. Would she have been proud of me?"

Braelyn looked at Anduin with pity. She forgot about her own troubles as she contemplated everything she had and took for granted. She had problems, yes, but she had two loving parents and a lifetime of memories. She felt ashamed. Her fate could have been a lot worse than to be the Queen of Stormwind.

"I'm sure she would have been the proudest mother in Azeroth," Braelyn said softly, reaching out to give Anduin's hand a gentle squeeze. "I know I'm pretty proud that I get to call you stepson."

Anduin grinned at that, looking like the youth that he was. "I may not have memories of my mother," he said, "but I look forward to making some with my stepmother."

Braelyn laughed. "I'm pretty sure I'll create plenty of memorable moments," she said. "And just wait until you meet _my _mum. She'll mother you right into next century!"

As she and the young prince settled into easy conversation, Braelyn decided that while she might not be happy as a wife, she'd be very content as a mother.

* * *

><p>Word of the royal engagement spread quickly. Braelyn was given two days of bedrest, during which she was besieged with messages of congratulations. Most were from complete strangers, but several came from people she'd helped over the years. Even the Horde leaders sent their well wishes.<p>

Braelyn dreaded reading Lor'themar Theron's letter, but found it full of warmth. Halduron had added a postscript about her now being able to afford paying him back. When she had explained the comment to Varian, the king simply asked how much was owed.

"Is that all?" Varian drawled when Braelyn told him. He then ordered his steward to write a cheque, joking about not wanting the blood elves to repossess his wife.

There was no word from Rommath, something that left Braelyn both relieved and upset.

After the two days were over, Braelyn was expected to make her first public appearance as Varian's betrothed; a trip to the Cathedral of Light to receive a blessing for the upcoming nuptials. She was exceedingly nervous. The only thing calming her nerves was the presence of her parents.

Jasper Hawke was in the throne room with his future son-in-law and King Genn, looking every inch the proud father that he was. Ellysan was with her daughter, helping Braelyn dress. She was happy that the situation with her daughter and the king was resolved, but sad that Braelyn couldn't see the potential for happiness in the match.

Braelyn's eyes widened as her mother pulled out the dress she was to wear. It was the same blue dress she'd worn the night of Jack's proposal. "Are you sure that's a wise choice, Mum?"

"His Majesty requested you wear it," Ellysan said. "He said you looked beautiful in it, and that he enjoys seeing you in his colours."

"Oh," Braelyn said. She looked at her reflection. Did he really think she was beautiful, or was he just saying what he thought people wanted to hear? She sighed when she realised it didn't really matter.

She slipped into the dress, put on her jewelry and let her mother brush out her hair. Her mother paused, staring at her intently.

"Braelyn," Ellysan said, squeezing her shoulder, "The king is a good man."

"I know, Mum. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have cared so much about saving my reputation."

"I'm glad you recognise that. I want you to promise me something, though."

"Of course," Braelyn replied, looking at her mother. "What it is?"

"The king has had a very hard life, and the mantle of leadership is not one he finds easy to bear. Because of this, he is not an easy man to get close to, despite the loneliness he feels. People often perceive him as being cold, aloof, and unfeeling. Underneath all that, though, is a warm and loyal man who cares deeply about his people," her mother said, giving her daughter a warm smile. "Promise me that you will not close yourself off to him, or let him push you away. Get to know him, my daughter, and try to be happy. You are both worth the effort."

"I'll try, Mum," Braelyn said, "but I'm scared. I'm going to be queen!" She couldn't help the tremor that ran through her body.

"I know, dear," her mother replied, stroking her hair just like she did was Braelyn was a child. "I know. Just remember; you're always stronger than you think you are."

* * *

><p>Varian did his best not to snap at his steward as he waited for Braelyn to make an appearance. He was anxious, Dominic telling him that half the city's population had gathered along the route to the Cathedral. The people were desperate for a glimpse of their future queen.<p>

After what had happened with Tiffin, Varian was worried about taking Braelyn out into such a crowd. Not all of those gathered would be benevolent. He shook his head in frustration. He was the king, damn it! He should be able to keep his own lady safe.

But he'd failed his first wife. What if he also failed Braelyn? He couldn't bear the thought.

There was a commotion by the inner door, and Varian turned around to see Braelyn walk in with her mother. She was wearing the dress he'd asked her to, and except for the missing curls, looked just as she had the night she'd frolicked in the courtyard. She was beautiful to his eyes, bright as a star, and, in that moment he forgot about how much he had wanted to avoid marrying her. He felt a glimmer of the comfort he'd experienced when she'd kissed him.

Varian walked towards the two women and, after bowing to Ellysan, took his fiancée's arm in his. He placed her left hand where her engagement ring would be most visible, the sapphire catching the light. He could tell Braelyn was nervous; her gaze was restless, and she was chewing her bottom lip in a manner he found most distracting.

"You look beautiful, Braelyn," he said, and was rewarded with a lovely smile.

"Thank you," she said. "Do you think the people will approve?"

"If they don't, then they're idiots," he replied bluntly. Braelyn looked stunned for a moment, then let out a peal of laughter.

"My dear Braelyn," Genn Greymane said as he came over. "How marvelous you look! Let me say how thrilled I am to know you'll be joining us in the Keep."

"Thank you, Ki... Genn," Braelyn replied, and Varian noticed that she seemed to relax in the older man's company. He was pleased that she would not find everyone in the Keep to be objectionable. "Do you have any tips for me before the kin... _my fiancé _and I depart?"

"Oh, yes!" the Gilnean said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Just remember that as the future queen of Stormwind you do not have to put up with any guff. If anyone gives you any trouble, just call for a guard, or, better yet, stick your boot into them!"

Varian rolled his eyes, but Braelyn laughed. "Somehow I don't think Varian would appreciate me kicking the good people of Stormwind."

"On the contrary," Varian said, giving his lady a sly grin. "If people see my lady sticking her boot into the troublemakers of the kingdom, they may think twice about trying to assassinate me."

He was pleased beyond measure when Braelyn looked up at him and grinned, attempting to hide her giggles behind her hand.

* * *

><p>Braelyn did her best to honour her promise to her mother and kept her mind open when judging the king. She had heard that Varian was a rather aloof leader, not having much to do with the common people of his Kingdom, but soon found that it was not the case. On their journey to the Cathedral, her fiancé stopped and talked to everyone, from merchants, to heroes, to dock hands. He entertained the children, and even bought Topper McNabb a hamburger.<p>

And the orphans! They adored the king, climbing all over him, begging for stories. She began to realise that a lot of what she thought she knew about the king was wrong. That made it easier to be more open, allowing herself to smile and laugh in his company.

"The king is very good with children," the Matron said, staring at Braelyn pointedly. Braelyn blushed, and sat down to talk to a little black-haired girl. Only for the child to tell Braelyn that a lady should always give her lord lots of kisses.

Braelyn didn't know what to say to that, but Varian chimed in with a too-innocent-to-be-believed, "You haven't kissed me once today, my dear." She glared at him, but he just grinned that sly grin of his as the little girl began to scold Braelyn.

"You have to kiss him, my lady!" she said sternly. "You have to kiss him right now!"

To Braelyn's horror, the rest of the children joined in, as did the Matron. With an exasperated sigh, Braelyn stood up and walked up to Varian. "You paid her to say that," she accused him, but he just laughed.

"Guilty as charged," he said.

Braelyn narrowed her eyes at him as she cupped his face with her hands. She leant in, placing her lips against his, smiling as the kids starting squealing in the background.

"You're lucky there are children present," she said as she pulled back, allowing Varian to wrap an arm around her waist, "or your punishment would be brutal."

"Your Majesty, my lady," Dominic interrupted before Varian could reply, "it's time to move on to the Cathedral."

"Very well," Varian said, chuckling as the children began to complain. "It's all right, little ones. Miss Braelyn and I will visit you again soon."

The royal party walked towards the Cathedral, Varian's grip on Braelyn changing to a more socially acceptable one. She looked at him as they approached the holy building and asked, "Are all the nobles going to be there?"

"Those that are in the city, yes," Varian replied. He seemed to notice Braelyn's increased anxiety, because he gave her an encouraging look. "Lord Devereaux will be there, Braelyn, but do not let yourself be bothered by him. Remember who you are; a woman worth more to the city than most of the nobles combined."

_So that's why so many people are prepared to sacrifice their lives for him, _Braelyn thought. He was inspiring, making her feel like the queen she was to become.

"Thank you," Braelyn said, giving him a genuinely happy smile, "but I still wish you'd let me bring my bow."

"You do not need it, my lady," Varian replied, smiling back at her. "Remember what Genn said; just stick your boot into him!"

Braelyn's laughter echoed through the Square.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>I like exploring the softer side to Varian. He's a tricky bastard.

Next chapter: Braelyn returns to Goldshire to prepare for her wedding and finds that some of her fears are already coming true. The wedding takes place, but will things go smoothly?


	8. Here comes the bride

Braelyn returned to Goldshire to prepare for her wedding and discovered just how much her life had already changed. To begin with, Varian insisted she fly home rather than walk, as he thought the roads too dangerous. Then she found out that the guards that had accompanied her on the journey were now permanent additions to her life.

Braelyn sighed in frustration. She was a _hunter_. How could she hunt properly with half a dozen plate-armor-wearing people following her around? Short answer; she couldn't.

She couldn't even busy herself with the training of other hunters. Every single client she'd had refused to use her again. Apparently it was inappropriate for the future Queen of Stormwind to engage in such work, and they did not want to encourage her.

Chelinka, who by some awful twist of fate, had decided to stay in Goldshire until the 'happy event', told her that if she needed some hobby to keep her busy, she could always take up embroidery. It would suit her new life perfectly. She then laughed her arse off at Braelyn's expression of disgust.

She did not laugh long. It's hard to giggle when you're running for your life, and Bitey was intent on living up to his name.

But the worst change of all them, was the way in which people treated her. Braelyn wasn't even married yet and people were already treating her like a royal. They bowed and curtsied, tipped their hats, and called her 'Your Highness' or 'Milady'. Some of the children followed her around with expressions of awe on their little faces.

Braelyn hated it.

Even her family were a little more formal with her at first, as if uncertain about how to deal with having the king's bride in their midst. At least, they were until she started yelling at them.

She saw Varian and Anduin every week. She was growing more attached to the young priest, who was so open and loving that she could not believe he was the king's son. Varian always treated her with respect, but he was so hard to read, and seemed unwilling to share anything of himself with her. It was difficult for Braelyn to understand, especially when she was trying to honour her promise to her mother by opening herself up to him.

During one of her visits, she caught sight of Jack following her. He was standing near one of the bridges over the canal, just staring at her. The look in his eyes disturbed Braelyn. She had trouble identifying it, but it seemed almost desperate. She couldn't help feeling that perhaps his plan had gone awry; that when he told her about Rommath and Denaria, his intent had been to drive her back into his arms, not further into the king's.

Braelyn was afraid of him, and what that quiet desperation would drive him to do.

Varian had seen him, too, and had tightened a protective arm around Braelyn. The look he sent Jack made the rogue leave the area at once, and Braelyn found herself leaning into the king and sighing with relief.

"You do not need to fear him," Varian said softly. "I will keep him far from you."

But Braelyn was far from reassured.

* * *

><p>Braelyn felt the weight of her wedding dress pulling her down as her mother and cousin adjusted her skirt and latched all the little pearl buttons along her back. If she had had her way, her dress would have been elegant and simple, not this river of silk and lace, with its long sleeves and metre-long train. The high neck of the gown was delicate, but it still contributed to the feeling of suffocation threatening to overwhelm her.*<p>

Odariah's dress, made of white silk and crystals, was much more to her taste.

Braelyn thought wistfully of all the brides out there that greeted their wedding day with nervous excitement, wishing she could be one of them. But she wasn't excited, and nervous was too weak an adjective to describe her current state.

Braelyn was terrified out of her mind.

"Mum, Mum," she whispered, "I don't think I can do this." Panic surged through her body, and the urge to run, to throw herself out of the window to make a mad dash for freedom, was difficult to resist.

"I know, Sweetie, I know," her mother replied, rubbing her back. "But it's too late to change anything, now. I wish I could spare you this fear, but I can't. You just need to fight through it, Braelyn."

Odariah came over and handed her a glass of whisky. "Orc courage," she said, a worried look marring her face when she saw how hard Braelyn's hand was shaking. "Be at peace, Braelyn. The light is with you, and you will make one badass Queen!"

Braelyn managed a weak grin. "I appreciate your confidence, cousin," she said, "but that isn't what I am afraid of for a change."

"What do you mean?" her mother asked as she attached Braelyn's tiara. It was a beautiful creation of gold, diamonds, and pearls, and even though Braelyn knew it wasn't, it felt heavy on her head.

"What if something terrible happens?" Braelyn blurted, almost spilling whisky on her dress. Odariah snatched the glass away. "What if someone kills Varian or Anduin? Or both of them? What if you and dad and Odariah and Andorien all die, too?" She was on the verge of hyperventilating now. "It will be my fault! My fault because I did something stupid and got caught and then Jack found out and I got drunk and kissed the king and forced him into marrying me."

"Braelyn," Odariah said as she attempted to soothe her distraught cousin. "Do not be... "

"I don't want Varian to die!" she yelled. "It'll be my fault and everyone will hate me and Anduin will... "

*CRACK*

Braelyn's terrified rant came to an abrupt end when her mother slapped her. "Braelyn Hawke!" her mother bellowed. "You will calm yourself this instant! There are armies from all corners of Azeroth here today, and they will keep as all safe."

Braelyn stared blankly at her mother for a few seconds, then shook her head. "I,uh... thanks, Mum. I feel better now."

"Good, because it's time to go."

* * *

><p>Braelyn walked to the Cathedral of Light on her father's arm. She was still jittery, still felt the panic in her mind, but did her best to look as much like a happy bride as she could. The streets of Stormwind were crowded with onlookers eager to get a glimpse of the bridal party in all their glory, and Braelyn thought they deserved a smile and a wave. For many of them, the celebrations were the only form of entertainment they got to indulge in.<p>

"You look beautiful, pumpkin," he father told her as they made their way into the Cathedral. "I love you, always remember that."

"Thanks, Dad," Braelyn said. Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, and she felt a slight tremor in her hands.

The cathedral was full, and Braelyn hated that most of the people were unfamiliar to her. She was uncomfortably aware of every one of their faces turning to stare at her as she walked down the aisle.

"Ignore them," her father whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Just look at the king, Sweetie."

Braelyn did so, and was captivated by Varian's bright blue eyes. He was not smiling, but his face was relaxed, and less harsh than usual. When she reached the altar, her father transferred her hand to Varian, and then lifted her veil back over her head.

Varian's hand was warm and steady around hers. She glanced down to see his strong fingers intertwined with her smaller ones. She looked back at the king, allowing him to see some of the fear she was experiencing. His thumb moved across the back of her hand, a soft, comforting caress.

And Braelyn was afraid no longer.

* * *

><p>The ceremony was a blur. Varian could remember little of what was said, of what he promised to do. For all he knew, he had just sworn to spend every Tuesday evening dancing naked in Old Town.<p>

There were three things he _did _remember; he remembered the moment he saw her standing at the end of the aisle, buried in a mountain of white fabric, her pretty face obscured by a veil. He recalled hearing their guests erupt into cheers of "Long live the king! Long live his Queen!" when they were pronounced man and wife.

And he remembered kissing her.

It sounds so cliché, but time really did seem to slow down as he pulled her flush against the ceremonial armor that he wore. They stood in a column of sunlight, and Braelyn seemed to take on an ethereal glow, her light brown hair transformed into a shimmering gold. He saw her blue eyes widen with anxiety before relaxing at the touch of his hand on her face.

"My queen," he said, with a possessiveness he had no right to feel.

"My king," she replied, so softly he may have imagined her saying it.

Varian lowered his head and lay his lips on hers. It was warm, soft, comforting; like two souls embracing after an eternity apart. In that moment, he knew that Tiffin had sent this beautiful woman to him, and Braelyn became a star in the midnight sky of his existence, eclipsed only by the light of his son.

Varian swore that he'd win her heart, even if it took him the rest of his life.

* * *

><p>Braelyn's shoulders shook with laughter as she read the card that Genn had slipped under her bedroom door sometime during the reception. It was the first genuine laugh she'd had all day, and it was a shame it happened so late, right when she was preparing for bed.<p>

"And what are you laughing at, Mrs. Wrynn?" Varian asked as he came out of their bathroom.

"Genn slipped this under our door," Braelyn said, waving the bit of parchment at Varian. "It's an extra present from Tyrande."

She watched as Varian came over and took the parchment from her. He was clad only in a pair of woollen pyjama pants, and Braelyn was not ashamed to admit that she found her husband very distracting. He was well muscled, and she had to clench her hands into fists to stop her fingers from tracing their way over his numerous scars.

_Stop it, Braelyn! These kind of thoughts are what got you into this mess._

"'To Her Majesty, Queen Braelyn of Stormwind'," Varian read, "'I hearby present to you this voucher, redeemable for five free frolicking lessons. Sincerely, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind of Darnassus'."

Braelyn enjoyed watching Varian laugh. It happened so rarely that it was like a little treat.

"How thoughtful of Tyrande," Varian drawled, and he surprised Braelyn by wrapping his arms around her from behind. She wondered if she would ever get used to his physicality. "But, in my opinion, you do not need lessons in frolicking."

"Really?" Braelyn asked, attempting to remove herself from her husband's grasp.

"Really. You are an expert frolicker," Varian confirmed. "As a married woman, you really shouldn't be frolicking in public anyway."

"So my frolicking days are over?"

"Oh, no," Varian growled in her ear, and for a moment Braelyn wanted to forget that this was a sham marriage. "It just means that you frolic only for me."

"I'll, uh, keep that in mind," Braelyn squeaked, relieved when Varian released her. She really wished she could just let go and be physically intimate with him, but she couldn't. She needed an emotional connection to her partner, and she didn't have that with Varian.

Plus, she was afraid of being hurt again, the tragic legacy of her relationship with Rommath.

"Do you need help with your dress?" Varian asked. "Those buttons look tricky."

"Oh, yes, please," Braelyn replied. "They're a nightmare. I don't know who thought they were a good idea."

"I'm betting your friend Chelinka told Odariah to have them included in the design. Evil little things."

"You know Chelinka?" Braelyn asked in surprise, trying to stop herself from blushing when her husband brushed her hair over her shoulder and began undoing the tiny buttons. She could feel his fingers brushing the bare skin of her back.

"Everybody knows Chelinka," Varian said with a low chuckle.

Varian seemed to take his sweet time unbuttoning her dress, but eventually the final one popped open. She clutched the bodice to her chest as he pushed the fabric forward, then gasped as Varian leaned over and kissed her shoulder. She stiffened, not knowing how to respond.

"It's all right, Braelyn," he said. "I will not force you to do anything you do not want to do." He placed another soft kiss to her temple when she did not respond, and went over to their bed.

After a few seconds, Braelyn trusted herself to finish undressing. She hung the elaborate dress up, and slipped quickly into the blue silk nightgown her mother insisted she wear. She climbed into the king-sized bed,** settling down as far away from Varian as she could without ending up on the floor.

"I don't bite, Braelyn," Varian said, and she could hear the amusement in his voice. She moved over... but just a little. With a sign, Varian rolled over and grabbed her, pulling her against his side. She tensed up. "Go to sleep," her husband added, relaxing back into his pillow.

But Braelyn didn't sleep, and neither did Varian

* * *

><p>*the dress I have in mind is the one worn by Kate Middleton when she married Prince William. Odariah's bridesmaid's dress is the one worn by Pippa Middleton. I loved Pippa's dress. Kate's was pretty, but it looked mighty uncomfortable.<p>

** bdum tish

**AN - **there we have it. Wedding spectacular. You all need to thank Amcm74 for getting the update tonight. When I met her in-game today and mentioned that I might not be posting until tomorrow, she cried. It made me work my arse off.

Next chapter: The honeymoon! And Braelyn settles into life as Queen B.


	9. The honeymooners

Varian was too busy to take Braelyn on the honeymoon she deserved, but found time to spirit her away to Pandaria for a few days. He was pleased to see how happy she was when they stepped out of the portal and into the Shrine of Seven Stars. She had never been to Pandaria before, so she was excited to see so many new things.

They spent one night at the Shrine, and Varian's favourite moment was watching his wife tuck into a traditional Pandaren banquet. Tiffin had been such a dainty eater, the result of her aristocratic upbringing. Braelyn, however, got stuck into everything with a gusto that won the hearts of all the Pandaren who saw her. It pained him to think how much she was going to have curb that enthusiasm when dealing with the nobles.

Varian wished she were more at ease with him; he'd love to sit beside her and feed her with his own hands, to see her eyes glow with happiness over some little tidbit he'd fed her.

He wanted so damn much for her to be happy. Happy with him.

* * *

><p>On the second day of their honeymoon, they went to the Jade Forest. Braelyn was overjoyed with Varian's choice of destination; the tranquil gardens of the Arboretum. The trees were in full bloom, the blossom's scent lingering on the air.<p>

There were also the most amazing giant hornets that she wanted to tame, but when she tried, all that occurred was that she got stung multiple times and Varian laughed at her for an hour.

The Order of the Cloud Serpent welcomed them warmly, inviting them to make themselves at home.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Braelyn cried when she spotted some of the baby serpents. She walked over to their enclosure, holding out her hand. Three of them flew forward, winding their bodies around her arm, and licking her affectionately.

"Do you want one, Braelyn?" Varian asked, wrapping an arm around her while his free hand stroked the head of an inquisitive azure serpent. It nuzzled his palm, making the most adorable little chirping sound she had ever heard.

"I do," she replied, "but I don't think it would be a good idea. They don't stay this little forever, and we don't have anywhere to keep an animal of its adult size."

"I could have something built for you," Varian murmured in her ear.

"Really?" Braelyn asked, looking at her husband. He nodded, a little smile twisting his lips.

"Of course," he said, "I'm the king, and your husband. It's my responsibility to make you happy."

Braelyn was tempted; the cloud serpents were so beautiful, but considering that she hated flying, it would be cruel to remove the creature from its home. She also didn't think it wise for Varian to make such a grand purchase for her during such troubled times.

"I appreciate the gesture, Varian," she replied, "but I don't think I want to be known as the Queen who had the king buy her such a frippery."

"As you wish," he said, "but don't be afraid to ask me for things. You are my wife, I will not have you left wanting."

"I'll... keep that in mind," she said, blushing slightly under his intense gaze. When he said things like that, reminded her of what they now were, she got flustered and didn't know how to react.

"Your Majesties," a deep, serene voice addressed them. Braelyn turned to see a female Pandaren approaching, a member of the Order of the Cloud Serpents.

"Yes," Varian said, turning to face her.

"I am Jenova Longeye, one of the serpent masters with the Order," the Pandaren said, bowing respectfully. "We are about to start a race, if you would like to watch... or perhaps even join us?"

"Oh, no," Braelyn replied, shaking her head. "No, no, no. I do not fly when I can possibly avoid it."

"You don't like flying?" Varian asked, grinning down at her.

"Flying doesn't like me," Braelyn corrected, poking her cheeky husband in the chest.

"What about you then, my Lord," Jenova asked, "will you take part?"

"I would be delighted to," Varian said with a bow, and a smug look at Braelyn, who rolled her eyes at him. "But tell me, is there a prize for the victor?"

"Not usually," Jenova replied. She looked thoughtful. "Perhaps we can make an exception for today, though, given the nature of our special guest."

"How about a kiss from the fair Queen?" A male Pandaren called out. He was obviously one of the competitors, as he was standing next to an impressive red cloud serpent.

Braelyn laughed, realising that the man was joking. Varian, however, was not happy. His arm tightened painfully around Braelyn's waist, and he was glaring at the Pandaren with murderous intent.

"Do you think it's appropriate to speak that way about another man's wife?" he growled possessively. "Especially when that man is the King of Stormwind?"

Braelyn elbowed him in the ribs. She would not tolerate being spoken about in such a possessive manner, especially considering their 'relationship' wasn't real. Surely his pride could withstand a little joking.

"I think I can spare a kiss for the winner," Braelyn said, smiling at the male Pandaren.

"Braelyn," Varian warned, "I don't think... "

"Nonsense, dear husband," she interjected sweetly. "Just think of it as an added incentive for you to win."

"Which one is my mount?" Varian asked Jenova, shooting an angry glance at his wife.

"You may choose your own, your highness" the serpent master replied, pointing over at group of four cloud serpents.

Braelyn watched as Varian strode over and selected the azure serpent. She wasn't surprised. He seemed to have a thing for all things blue coloured. She _was _surprised by Varian's skill in handling the animal. She'd no idea that he knew how to fly them.

Varian flew his mount over to Braelyn's side. She smiled as he looked down at her, determination shining in his eyes. "Be ready to part with that kiss, _dear wife,_" he said, then joined the other racers at the starting line.

The race consisted of three laps around a circuit that stretched quite far out over the ocean. Braelyn couldn't help feeling a little concerned. They would be out of sight for so long. What if something went wrong? Varian would not have his guard with him. He was completely vulnerable out there.

She bit back her concern. Varian was a strong, proud man. He wouldn't want her fussing over him in public over something so irrational. The Jade Forest was safe, and under the control of the Alliance. It's why Varian had chosen to come here.

Varian looked over at her, and she smiled at him, forgetting her annoyance at his burst of possessiveness. He didn't smile back, but gave her a ghost of a wink instead.

The race began with a flourish, the riders jockeying for any advantage they could get. Braelyn was not surprised to see Varian take the lead early. She had to admit he looked like he knew what he was doing, handling his mount with confidence. The wind whipped his long black pony tail away from his face, which was set in determination.

Her husband was a competitive man, she realised. He would win, of this she had no doubt.

So it was a real shock to see Varian languishing in the middle of the pack at the end of both the first and second laps.

Braelyn found herself waiting for the race to end with an excitement she didn't quite understand. She stood below the finish line, surrounded by the royal guard, all of them straining their eyes for a glimpse of the king.

"There they are!" one of the guards said, forgetting protocol in his eagerness.

This time, Varian was at the front of the pack, but he was not alone. A male Pandaren was at his side, their mounts neck and neck. It was the same man who had suggested that Braelyn offer a kiss to the winner.

The royal guards cheered loudly, urging their King on to victory. Braelyn joined in, whistling, and clapping her hands. "Go, Varian!" she shouted, hoping he could hear her from so far away.

She don't know if it was because he could hear her cheering, but Varian's mount gave a sudden surge forward, pulling out in front of the Pandaren, and crossing the finish line half a body length in front.

Braelyn watched as Varian landed to a cacophony of cheers. He waved his hand to acknowledge the crowd, then shook hands with the Pandaren who came second and third. Then he turned and looked at her with an expression that made her knees weak.

Varian strode over to her with a victorious grin on his face, looking as if he'd just won every major battle in Azerothian history single-handedly on the same day. "I believe you owe me a kiss, Your Highness," he said jauntily.

"I believe I do, Your Majesty," Braelyn replied with a small smile and a shake of her head. She placed her hands on his face, her fingertips tracing the edges of his scar. She stood on her tip toes and placed her lips on his, turning her head slightly.

She'd meant it to be a short kiss, a mere peck on the lips, but she felt Varian smiling against her mouth, and heard the cheering of the crowd behind her. She got caught up in the moment, more than she should have, and allowed her husband to pull her into his arms and deepen the kiss.

For a moment, she felt how every other woman must feel on their honeymoon. Cherished.

Braelyn sighed and leaned into his warmth as one of his hands began to brush along her spine. It felt so nice, her skin beginning to tingle where their bodies met. She moaned softly when his hand lingered over the buttons of her dress, as if they were itching to undo them.

Braelyn whimpered as a memory she'd tried to keep buried resurfaced in a rush;

_ She seemed to freeze up when he kissed her, but after he bit her bottom lip gently, she relaxed. Braelyn wound her arms around his neck, pulling herself even closer to him. Rommath ran his hands up her back, then back down again, undoing the buttons of her dress as he did so._

"Rommath!"

* * *

><p>Varian recoiled as if he'd been spat on. <em>Did Braelyn just<em>... ? He looked down at his wife, who seemed to be trapped in a daze. She looked confused for a moment, then a look of horror crossed her face.

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, and he could see tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. She pulled away from him, but her drew her back.

"We need to talk about this," Varian said quietly, his voice as even as he could make it. It was hard; what man enjoyed being called the name of another when kissing his wife? But he made the effort. He and Braelyn were not alone, and he was smart enough to not discuss this in public.

In order to fool the crowd, Varian bent down and picked Braelyn up, holding her bridal style. "If you will excuse us," he said calmly, "my wife and I need to be going."

As the crowd let out a few cheers and good-natured cat-calls, Braelyn buried her face in his neck. He walked quickly, eager to get her into their cabin so that he could sort this mess out.

He kicked the door open, and the kicked it closed again once he'd gotten inside. He put Braelyn down, and she immediately tried to put distance between them.

Varian was having none of it.

He grabbed her arms, pulling her towards him, and holding him where he could see her face. "Do you still love him?" he demanded, allowing some of the anger and jealousy he felt bleed into his words.

Braelyn flinched, clearly unhappy. But he needed to know, so he shook her shoulders. "Do you still love him?!" he demanded again, this time with more force.

Braelyn wrenched herself free of him, glaring at him. He'd forgotten about the legendary Hawke stubbornness, but he could see it in her eyes now, along with a lot of pain.

"It's none of your business," she replied haughtily, and Varian wondered if she realised just how _regal _she sounded.

"None of my business?" he snarled, smirking when Braelyn winced and stepped further away from him. He stalked forward, trapping her against the door. He lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. "Do you forget who I am? Well, let me remind you; I am Varian Wrynn, your _husband_ and high king of the Alliance! The leader of the faction that man fights against, even to this day. I will not have my wife pining away over the fool who let go of her, and I certainly won't have her running back to him when she gets tired of her responsibilities in Stormwind."

Oh, but she was mad now. He could see it in her eyes.

"I ask you again, Braelyn _Wrynn_, do you still love him?"

"Does it really matter?" she spat.

"It does to me," he growled, and her rubbed his thumb across her cheek. The action was gentle; he would never hurt her, even in his anger.

"No," she said, her fury suddenly abandoning her. "No, I don't think I do."

"Then why do you call for him while you were kissing me?" he asked. "Is the memory of him the only way you can bear me touching you?"

Braelyn shook her head. "It wasn't the kiss," she confessed. "I liked the kiss."

The admission made his chest swell with pride. _Take __**that, **__Rommath, _he thought smugly. "Tell me what happened," he encouraged her, unable to keep the hint of a triumphant purr out of his voice. "Tell me what startled you so."

Varian watched as a slow blush crept up her neck and over her cheeks when he spoke. She sighed, finally looking into his eyes of her own volition. Her ocean eyes were stormy, and how he _longed_ to calm them.

"Your hand lingered on the buttons of my dress," she said, "and it brought back a memory of me and _him._ I am sorry, Varian. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He could tell she was sincere. Those eyes, that face were incapable of hiding the truth.

"I want to make you forget he even exists," he growled. Her eyes widened and her blush deepened, but her smile was sad.

"I wish I could forget," she said, her voice wobbling. "And I wish I could be the woman, the wife, that you deserve."

_You are, _Varian thought fiercely. _How can I convince you of that, little star?_

He pulled her into a hug, just letting her rest against him as she calmed down. He didn't try to kiss her again. No, he would wait for her to come to him.

_Patience is a virtue._

* * *

><p>Braelyn lay in bed, wrapped up tightly in Varian's arms as he slept. Today had been such a momentous day, even if there had been more drama than she was expecting. The flashback to her time with Rommath was a shock, as was her husband's reaction to it. She didn't think he would be so <em>jealous<em>, and she didn't know how to react to it. Maybe it was because he was the king; he needed to avoid scandal, and his wife mooning over one of his enemies would create a pretty big one.

But Braelyn _did _know how to repay the gentleness he'd shown her once she'd explained her reaction to him. When they returned to Stormwind, she was going to do whatever it took to be the best Queen the kingdom has ever had. She would ease some of the burden off Varian's shoulders as best she was able.

_This is my solemn vow._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>this was one of those chapters that just didn't want to be written. Ugh. Anyway, we see a little of Braelyn's naivety and stubbornness coming through. And Varian's jealousy. And of course, Braelyn's decision to actually embrace her new position.

Next Chapter: the honeymooners return home, and Braelyn makes good on her promise, only to find that it is not as easy as it seems.


	10. All hail the Queen!

Braelyn had promised to be the best queen Stormwind ever had, and it was a promise she intended to keep. She had one problem; how was she going to be the best queen ever when she didn't know how to be any kind of queen at all?

She attempted to solve the problem by talking to her husband's chief steward. Dominic was happy to be of service to the young queen, explaining all her royal rights and responsibilities in great detail. According to him, the role of the queen was to act as support for the king. She would receive special guests at the Keep, and act as hostess. She would accompany her husband to parties and other functions hosted by the great families, and hold some of her own. During times of strife, she was to lead fundraising and relief efforts.

And babies, she mustn't forget the babies.

Her main responsibility was to help Varian perpetuate his family line, and to contribute to the gene pool of Stormwind's royal families.

In short; Braelyn was to love her husband, host parties, swan about looking regal, and pop out as many children as Varian wanted. And, if she could do all that while staying in the Keep as much as possible, even better.

Braelyn was horrified. She would have changed her name and moved to Outland if she didn't know that Varian would just come after her and drag her back.

There was no way she was being reduced to a piece of babymaking arm-candy. No way at all. So Braelyn decided to redefine the queen's role. She was quite willing to go to parties. She was quite willing to host parties. She was sure she could manage to look regal while doing so. But she was_ not_ going to be locked up in the Keep like some precious jewel, or forced to wait for Varian if she wanted to go anywhere.

She had bodyguards. Let them earn their wages.

As for children... well, she'd always wanted to be a mother, always planned on having a few babies of her own. But that was back when she thought she'd be marrying for love. She still wanted them, but she wouldn't bring innocent children into the world unless they were the result of a loving union, and she sure as hell wouldn't be treating them the way the nobles treated theirs, as if they were pawns in some great game.

Besides, Varian had Anduin, he didn't need another heir. He certainly wasn't acting as if he wanted another child. After their honeymoon, his behaviour towards her had changed somewhat. He still treated her well; still liked to touch her, and hold her as they slept, but he no longer kissed her. Braelyn couldn't blame him, not after what had happened, but she found herself missing them.

But how to go about learning the ropes? How was she to change how things were done? These were the questions that needed answering, so Braelyn did what all good hunters do when they are after prey; she waited, and watched.

* * *

><p>Braelyn sailed into in the throne room with a smile on her face, trying to ignore all the people dropping to their knee or curtsying. It was something she doubted she'd ever get used to.<p>

"Good morning, Genn," she greeted the Gilnean monarch before turning to her husband. "Hello, Varian," she said softly, reaching out for his hand.

"My lady," Varian replied, kissing her hand. "What can I do for you this morning?" Braelyn could tell he was surprised. She had never come to visit him without him summoning her before.

"I find myself wanting to know more about how Stormwind is run," she said. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I spent some time here with you, watching you work."

Braelyn was honestly touched by the look of delight that crossed Varian's face. "I would never refuse the chance to have my queen by my side," he said, with a brief smile. "What say you, Genn?"

"The more the merrier, my son," Genn replied, "especially if they are someone I can talk hunting with."

"Oh, no!" Varian said with fake horror. "I don't want to get involved in another argument about whether guns are superior to bows."

Braelyn laughed. "Varian, you are aware that as my husband, you _have _to side with me, right?"

Varian's lips twitched. "Of course," he replied. "I'd be too scared to do otherwise."

There wasn't much time for frivolity after that. Varian was a busy a man, far busier than Braelyn had thought, and people streamed into the Keep constantly. At first she was excited to be caught up in all the activity, but then it became tedious as she learned that not all people came to the King with interesting things to discuss.

Braelyn also discovered that Varian's happiness to have her with him diminished when important matters of state needed to be addressed. He refused to allow her into his study when Mathias Shaw or his admirals and generals came by, leaving her to stand vigil in the throne room. She would be lying if she said the lack of trust didn't hurt.

But she put her time in the throne room to good use, dealing with as many of the petitioners as she could. Most of them were happy to speak with her, once they'd gotten over the shock of being addressed by the queen.

It surprised Braelyn that so many people came to the Keep with matters that bordered on the trivial, or that could be dealt with more effectively by someone other than Varian. And she knew that many more must be writing in.

She resolved to speak to Dominic about it, and perhaps sort through some of the mail herself. She was about to call the steward over when Varian and Genn returned, looking terribly worn down, and almost grey with fatigue.

"Varian," she said, placing a hand on his arm, "what is the matter?"

"There's always trouble somewhere," Varian said. He sounded as exhausted as he looked, and it bothered Braelyn, activating her mothering instincts.

"I have to go," she told her husband, suddenly realising she knew just what to do to help Varian, and Genn, in this situation. It's what her father used to do for her mother. "But I'll be back in an hour."

Without giving Varian a chance to respond, she walked out of the throne room, heading for the depths of the Keep.

* * *

><p>Sixty minutes later, Braelyn had one of the maids send word to Varian and Genn to have them meet her in Varian's study. Then, trailed by several upset maids and kitchen hands, she entered the study herself, working quickly to set up her surprise before the two kings arrived.<p>

Braelyn shooed the servants away, only minutes before the men arrived. When they walked in they found a queen who was grinning ear-to-ear, a pot of steaming hot tea, and enough baked goods to feed half the city.

"This is what you were up to?" Varian asked as Genn headed straight for the tea. "You were fetching us afternoon tea?"

"I didn't fetch it, Varian, I _made _it," Braelyn said proudly. The two kings looked at her, surprised.

"You made us all this?" Genn asked. Braelyn nodded. "Jack Devereaux may be a complete arse, but since he caused you to marry Varian, I may have to forgive him," the Gilnean added, then got stuck into the scones.

"We have staff for this sort of thing, Braelyn," Varian said.

"I know," she replied, "but I needed to do this for you. You look so tired, Varian. Let me look after you. Just a little?" Braelyn raised a hand and brushed a strand of his hair off his face.

Varian looked down at her with some emotion she couldn't quite read. "As you wish," he said.

"Then sit down, and let me get you a plate," she said, then let out a startled squeak as Varian pulled her down with him as he took his seat.

"Varian!" she scolded him. "How am I to get you... "

"We have staff for that too," he laughed, and called for one of the maids.

* * *

><p>The next day, Braelyn sat down with Dominic in his study and began going through the mountain of mail sitting on his desk. It had taken the judicious use of royal authority to make the steward cooperate, but as long as she got what she wanted, Braelyn didn't care about hurt feelings.<p>

The mail confirmed Braelyn's fears. Varian was being inundated with complaints that he shouldn't have to deal with; shoddy merchants, corrupt guards, late shipments, the list was endless. Worse still, he was also receiving hate mail. A _lot _of hate mail. Citizens from all over Azeroth blaming him for the loss of livestock, property, and loved ones.

Braelyn couldn't understand how Varian could bear it. Some of the accusations were heartbreaking, and others so vile she was left with nothing but a fierce protectiveness of her husband after reading them.

Then there were the nobles. Braelyn wouldn't have thought that such privileged people could find so much to complain about, but they did. And it made her angry. They had enough power and wealth to solve their own problems, yet they were bothering her husband, an already overburdened man. A man who had real problems to deal with, such as the safety of their kingdom.

"All right, Dominic," she said after a long sigh, "this all stops right now."

"Excuse me, Your Majesty?" the steward asked.

Braelyn pointed to the pile of mail on his desk. "Find me one letter in there that Varian should rightfully have to deal with," she ordered. Dominic looked resigned.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," he said, "but the King is honour bound to read every bit of mail that arrives, just as he is required to meet the petitioners that come to the Keep."

"Then we need to prevent them from reaching the Keep to begin with," Braelyn said stubbornly.

"Are you suggesting we burn the mail? Hire thugs to deter people from entering the Keep?"

"Of course not!" Braelyn scoffed. "But we need to start redirecting the mail to the people who should actually be handling it; the city guard, the dockmaster, the merchants' guild."

"But, Your Maje..."

"Dominic, you do realise that my suggestion will make your job easier as well?" Braelyn said. She could see Dominic was thinking hard about what she said.

"Very well, Your Highness," he said with a nod, "I will make the changes immediately. But what of the nobles?"

"Let me deal with them, Dominic," Braelyn said grimly. "Most of their complaints aren't serious. They're just seeking to get the kings attention. The nobles just want to stick their noses into Varian's life even more than they already do."

_If they want attention, I'll give it to them_.

* * *

><p>Braelyn thought, as most people did, that the house of nobles was run by the highest ranking noblemen in the city. She was wrong. The real powerbroker was a tiny, middle-aged woman by the name of Lady Lucinda Bellweather.<p>

At first, Braelyn thought that Mathias Shaw was messing with her when he gave her the name and address of the noblewoman, but with one glance at the aristocratic matriarch, Braelyn knew she was meeting with a woman who had a steel spine, and more courage than the average hero. She stood ramrod straight, with impeccably groomed red hair and intelligent hazel eyes that pierced the soul. This was not a woman to underestimate, lie to, or disrespect.

If you did, she'd you chew you up, and spit you out... _if _you were lucky.

This did not frighten Braelyn, rather it was a relief. People like the Lady respected those who were upfront, and to the point. Braelyn wouldn't have to waste time being diplomatic.

"Your Majesty," Lucinda said, "welcome to my home. Please be seated."

"It's an honour to meet you, Lady Lucinda," Braelyn replied with a curtsy before taking the offered seat. "But, please, call me Braelyn when we are in private. I don't like to stand on formality."

"Yes," Lucinda replied, "the curtsies and bows do get rather tiresome after awhile don't they? I must say that I am pleased to finally meet you. The king has been reluctant to share you with us, it seems."

"He is very protective of me," Braelyn said, "and as we are newly married... "

"Say no more, Braelyn," Lucinda said, waving her hand dismissively. "I can well understand why King Varian does not want you to associate with us, not after all the Lord Devereaux has done."

Braelyn stared at the older woman. She must be powerful indeed to know the truth about her and Jack. She wondered if Lucinda knew the whole truth about _her_.

"Mathias Shaw was right to send me to you," was all Braelyn said. Lucinda raised an elegant eyebrow.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because I have a problem that I need someone of your influence to help solve," Braelyn said, pulling some letters out of her bag. She handed them to Lucinda.

"What are these?" the Lady asked, but Braelyn just gestured at her to read them. "Letters from the nobles?"

"I prefer to call them pathetic cries for attention from over-entitled brats," Braelyn stated bluntly.

Lucinda gazed at her for so long that Braelyn feared she may have pushed too hard. Then the older woman laughed. A genuine laugh. She wiped a tear from her eye and looked to the queen.

"Oh, how I glad I am you married the king and not that awful Jonathon Devereaux," she said. "You are just the queen we need. Diplomat by nature, but knowing when to stick the boot in."

"My husband is bombarded with these letters every day. _Every day_. While he struggles keeping the kingdom and the Alliance safe, with people's' _lives _resting on his decisions, the house of nobles expects him to care about their children's coming out balls and wine-tastings." As Braelyn spoke, she didn't bother hiding her anger, or her disgust. "Instead of doing what they can to aid Varian, they actively seek to make his life harder."

"And what is it you expect me to do?" Lucinda asked, gazing at Braelyn with curiosity.

"Shaw said that you're the real power behind the house of nobles. I want you to exercise that power and tell your fellow nobles to pull their fingers out of their arses and start helping their king instead of demanding they help him."

"And in return?" Lucinda asked. "There is always a price."

"The house wants royal attention," Braelyn repeated, "and I'll give it to them. They want a regal presence at their little parties, then I'll be there. But they _will _leave my Varian alone."

"The king will not like you doing so."

"I know, but I will find a way to handle him."

Lucinda was silent, deep in thought. "I like you, Braelyn. You're a welcome change to the spolied, idiotic ladies I normally have to put up with. I will do my best to do as you ask."

"Thank you," Braelyn said, her voice full of gratitude. "You don't know how much I appreciate your help."

"We aren't all over-entitled brats, Braelyn," Lucinda said sadly. "Some of us care just as deeply about the real issues facing the kingdom as you do. I was there that day," she added Braelyn when tried to interrupt, "the day Queen Tiffin died. That poor girl, killed in the street like common street trash. I'll never forget the sound the king made when she died in his arms...

"I have never forgotten the role the house of nobles played in her death. If we hadn't treated the stonemasons so appallingly, the riot would not have occurred, and Tiffin would have lived to see her beloved son grow into the fine young man he is today.

"It's why I chose to take control of the house. If I can control them enough to prevent something like that happening again..."

"You will have done Varian a great service," Braelyn finished.

Lucinda nodded. "Before you go, Braelyn, may I ask you for a personal favour?"

"Certainly," Braelyn said.

"I believe your mother is a mage, correct?"

"Yes."

"My daughter, Audrina, wishes to study magic," Lucinda explained. "She is an intelligent girl, just turned fifteen, and I believe she would be a great student. Unfortunately, such academic pursuits are frowned upon in girls of her status."

"You wish my mother to teach her?"

"Yes. I was hoping that I might send her to your mother under the guise of Rina needing to recover from an illness. Nobody would dare question the mother of the queen, especially when she is also an Alliance hero in her own right."

"My mother will be in town on Friday. I will be happy to introduce you," Braelyn replied with a frown. "Is it wise, though, to encourage your daughter if she's not going to be able to become a mage when she completes her training?"

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Lucinda laughed. "When she turns eighteen, Rina is set to inherit an obscene amount of money from her paternal grandmother. I've told her that when that happens, she is to run to Dalaran, and not look back. I don't care about what the other nobles think. My daughter's happiness is all that matters."

"What about her father? Won't he try to stop her?"

"Malcolm died five years ago," Lucinda replied. "Don't be sorry," she added, "the man was a complete boor."

"Well, all right then," Braelyn said, very glad she met this particular noble. "Please join me at the Keep for dinner on Friday, and bring Audrina with you."

"It will be my pleasure."

As she walked back to the Keep, Braelyn couldn't help but grin. She'd made a new friend. And a pretty badass friend at that.

* * *

><p>Braelyn returned to the Keep to find it in chaos. Varian had been called away on urgent business, which meant that she was in charge. Genn was doing his best in her absence, but it was clear he needed help.<p>

_Good gods, _Braelyn thought. _The city is in my hands._

Dominic began to bombard her with problems as soon as she walked in but she ignored him. Braelyn had noticed a young boy, no more than eight year's old, sitting on one of the benches. He was dirty, and looked terrified, clutching a small lion to his chest.

"Hello, little one," Braelyn said, kneeling in front of the child, her forest green skirt pooling around her knees. "What brings you here?"

"Your Highness!" the boy squeaked, nerves making his eyes bulge. "Please, you have to help me!"

"What's the matter, Sweetheart?"

"It's Darkshire, Majesty; it's under attack!"

"What?" Braelyn asked. "Who would dare?"

"The forsaken! They brought some of them plague wagons into town. The watch and Mr Caravin's lot managed to get rid of 'em, but then the feral worgen... they came, and killed a whole bunch of people, and Pa said he didn't think they could deal with 'em too. He put me on a gryphon and I got as far as Elwynn before the bird gave out from 'er wounds. I ran the rest o' the way."

The boy started sobbing, and Braelyn hugged him to her chest. "Dominic! Get General Baldwin in here, immediately!" she ordered. "Son, what is your name?"

"Sam, Your Majesty," the boy sniffled, burying into her arms.

"Did you really run here from Elwynn on your own?"

"Uhuh."

"You were very brave, and I'm sure your father is very proud of you," Braelyn crooned softly. "I promise, I'm going to get help for Darkshire, but first I need to take care of you." She turned to find one of her bodyguards.

"Guardsman! Take Sam to the Cathedral of Light. Ask for my cousin, the priestess Odariah. Tell her I want her to take care of Sam, then order all available priests to meet me in the Trade District in forty-five minutes."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After Sam and the guard left, Braelyn headed to Old Town, looking for a particular rogue. She spotted him by the target dummies. "Hello, Learen," she said, but the gnome ignored her, intent on disemboweling his enemy.

"I said, 'hello, Learen'," she repeated, picking the recalcitrant rogue up by his hair when he still refused to acknowledge her. "Do you know what day it is today?"

"Stab the blood elf day, but I'm stuck here on guard duty," he snapped, waving his fist at her. "Your majesty," he added as a bitter afterthought.

"Nope," Braelyn replied, "it's 'go to Darkshire and stab the feral worgen and perhaps a few forsaken' day. Meet me outside the Auction House in forty minutes, with as many SI: 7 buddies as you can grab. Queen's orders."

"If you insist," Learen replied, heading into headquarters.

After Old Town, Braelyn headed for the Mage's Tower and then the Blue Recluse. She didn't know anyone there, but it didn't matter. A few minutes later, and a group of mages and warlocks were headed for the Trade District.

_I guess being Queen has its benefits! _she thought as she headed back to the Keep to see the General.

* * *

><p><em>What's the good of being Queen if no one respects my authority! <em>Braelyn snarled to herself as she marched down to the Trade District. General Baldwin had refused to authorise any armed deployment to Darkshire without Varian's approval. It didn't matter that she was the bloody Queen. All that mattered was that she _wasn't _the king.

Now Braelyn was left to try and figure out a way to get some soldiers into Darkshire before the town fell. Rogues, healers, and ranged damage were great, but they needed mêlée fighters, and tanks to protect them.

Her confidence fell as she rounded the corner and saw the group gathered in front of the Auction House. It was larger than she was expecting, but still... so small, and without some plate wearers, they would be cannon fodder.

Braelyn thought of Lucinda Bellweather. Perhaps her new friend could help... maybe convince the house of nobles to spare some of their private guards or hire some mercenaries.

No. The nobles would milk it for all it was worth, making themselves out to be the saviours of Darkshire. They'd be unbearable in their smugness, and it would only cause more problems for Varian.

She saw Andorien and beckoned him over. "Andorien! I don't know what to do! They won't give me any soldiers without Varian's approval, and I can't send you out without them!" She felt like crying. She was the queen, and she couldn't help her people.

Andorien placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay calm," he advised. "You will think of something."

Braelyn raised her head, feeling calmer for her friend's presence. Her gaze drifted around the square, settling on a couple of paladins standing by the message board. She stared at them for a second, and then a smile appeared on her face as she realised what she needed to do.

She grabbed Andorien's arm, dragging him over to the fountain. She hopped up on the fountain's edge, holding on to the druid for support. "Brave heroes of the Alliance!" she shouted, but her voice did not carry very far above the noise of the crowd.

Realising what the queen was up to, Andorien coughed and opened his mouth. "All hail the Queen!" he bellowed, and the crowd fell silent. Their eyes drifted towards Braelyn, and with muffled curses, the humans fell to their knees, while members of other races stood respectfully.

"Brave heroes of the Alliance," Braelyn repeated, staring into the crowd, "the town of Darkshire, in Duskwood is currently under attack by the feral worgen and the forsaken." Her confidence grew as she heard people mumbling angrily among the crowd.

"Their resources are stretched thin, and they call on the king, my husband, for aid," she said. "But the Alliance has no resources to spare, not in time to save our brothers and sisters. I call on you now, I _beg _of you now; lend me your arms, your swords, and your shields! Go to Darkshire, and show them that the people of Stormwind, of the Exodar, Darnassus, Ironforge, and Gnomeregan stand with them! Prove to them that the Alliance stands together, that we protect our own."

Braelyn paused, pleased to see that the crowd were responding to her positively. People were cheering her, waving their weapons above their heads. But would they help her?

"Brave heroes; I ask you this; will you help me? Will you aid your queen?"

The answer was a resounding, "YES!" So loud was the response, and such was the enthusiasm that Braelyn had trouble organising the attack. Finally, though, a plan was made, and the impromptu army departed through portals, tanks in the lead.

But she wasn't finished.

"Guardsman! Head to Goldshire; tell all the duelists there that if they want a fight, then Darkshire is the place to be."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

She smiled tiredly, proud of what she'd accomplished, and, for the first time since her wedding, happy to be Queen Braelyn.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>this chapter is a monster! But I am really happy with it, and even got it out on time. Learen, god bless his hateful little gnomish socks, belongs to Amcm74. Go show her some love. And what do we think of Queen Braelyn? I'm proud of Lucinda. I wanted to show that not all nobles are complete douches, as well as upset the normal power/gender roles.

Next Chapter: Varian returns home and discovers what his little star has been up to in his absence. And, hold on to your hats, because the first marital spat is on its way.


	11. Return of the King

Varian had been gone for three weeks.

The long-simmering resentment between Jaina Proudmoore and Aethas Sunreaver had led to an outbreak of hostility between the Sunreavers and the Kirin Tor. At first, it was contained on the Isle of Thunder, where the two groups were vying for control over ancient magical artefacts. Then it spread to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, and onto the Jade Forest.

Braelyn hated the idea of Varian being out there on the battleground, even though she knew it was necessary. The king needed to bring a halt to the fighting in order to prevent the fight spreading to the rest of Azeroth. The rest of the kingdom was nervous. Everyday she received letters from regional leaders demanding to know if they were in danger, wanting to know what the king was doing to protect them.

After the first week, Braelyn realised she missed Varian with a surprising intensity. She had trouble sleeping in that huge bed without him, and missed his sly grins and gentle touches. She worried about him not eating enough or sleeping properly. She feared that he would not come home at all.

Anduin and Genn noticed her despondency and did their best to cheer her up, but they could not help her once she retired for the night to her half-empty room.

_When Varian returns, I swear I am going to give him the biggest hug he has ever received! _she thought.

The Battle of Darkshire had ended after a week. The town was saved, with minimal casualties. Braelyn had organised a small street festival to thank the heroes who had heeded her call to arms, many of whom were staying in Duskwood as members of the Watch. She presented young Sam with a medal, grinning when she saw how happy the boy was, and how proud his beloved Pa was.

She even found the courage to write to Lady Sylvanas Windrunner to suggest she keep better track of her men. It was dangerous for them to be wandering around lost in a place like Duskwood.

It was these small things that made Braelyn happy, that enabled her to keep working when all she wanted to do was take off screaming into the woods.

Her other duties were not as enjoyable, and she soon came to realise the full cost of her deal with Lucinda Bellweather. Not an evening went by that she wasn't expected to attend some function of the nobles, no matter if they ran late and she had to be up at dawn to deal with the aftermath of war.

She had known, of course, that the house of nobles, was corrupt but the level of corruption, and outright depravity, appalled her. And the fact that she was the Queen, Varian's _wife_, did not protect her from their schemes, their filthy propositions.

Thankfully, Lady Lucinda was always around to keep her company, to introduce her to the nobles who _were_ actually noble_, _and to stave of the worst of the bunch.

The 'worst of the bunch' consisted mainly of Jack and his closest associates. Her former partner had wasted no time exploiting Braelyn's willingness to engage with the house of nobles, hosting party after party, most of them in her honour. She had no idea why he was still so fixated on her. He had to realise that she was beyond his reach now. For good.

"Your Highness!"

Braelyn snapped her head up as one of the guards strode into the throne room. "Yes?" she asked, half afraid that a new danger had emerged for her to deal with.

"King Varian has returned, your majesty," the guard replied.

Braelyn got to her feet. "Where is he?" she demanded, her face lighting up with happiness.

"The gates to the city, Your Majesty."

Forgetting all about decorum, Braelyn hiked up her skirt and _ran _for the gates. She wasn't concerned with what people thought when they saw the Queen running through the streets, her bodyguards struggling to keep pace with her. She just wanted to see her husband. To reassure herself that he was safe and well.

As she ran, she realised how much fitness she'd lost since becoming queen. She was out of breath, and feeling dizzy. She'd have to find some way of rectifying that. Once she'd seen Varian, of course.

And there he was; standing just as proud and handsome as she remembered him, deep in conversation with Hammond Clay, looking furious about whatever they were discussing. She felt a familiar fluttering in her heart, but dismissed it as simple relief at seeing that her husband was okay.

It was only natural for the queen to be concerned about the king's welfare, after all.

"Varian!" she called, smiling brightly as he turned to look at her. She didn't give him a chance to respond; covering the remaining distance with a burst of speed, she all but jumped on him. Her arms managed to find a way past his pauldrons and around his neck, and she held on with all the strength she had. He was forced to close his arms around her waist, and swing her up and around, lest they both end up on the ground. "I've missed you!"

"As I've missed you, my Lady," he replied, laughing at her unexpected enthusiasm. She heard him say something to Hammond, but was too concerned with hugging him to death to pay any attention. "Let's go home, Braelyn."

She pulled away, not even embarrassed by the amused looks she was getting from Varian's men. She was just so happy. She could finally stop worrying. "Anduin will be overjoyed to see you."

She turned to smile at Varian again, then gasped as she felt a wave of dizziness surge through her. She swayed violently, dimly aware of Varian shouting her name. Then she felt as if she were drowning, unable to draw the tiniest breath. She staggered forward, pulling free of her husband's grasp in her panic. Her vision faded out, and she dropped to the ground, lost to darkness.

* * *

><p>When Varian saw his wife running towards him with her star-bright smile in place, he had approximately three seconds to enjoy her beauty before she launched herself at him with the force of a cannonball. He barely managed to catch her as she wound around him and said something he never expected her to say.<p>

"I've missed you!"

The admission was almost enough to make being gone for so long worth it.

Now, not five minutes later, she was passed out on the cobblestones, breathless and unconscious. One of Varian's paladins was healing her as he held her head in his lap, praying for her to wake up. Memories of the day he'd lost Tiffin playing over and over in his mind.

_I can't go through this again, _he thought bitterly._ Light, please don't take her from me, too._

Finally, _finally,_Braelyn stirred. Her eyes flickered open for a few moments, then closed again, but she was breathing, and didn't look to be in pain.

"You can move her now, Your Majesty," the paladin said, stepping away from Braelyn. "Judging from the dark circles under her eyes, I think she just passed out from over-exertion, and perhaps stress. Let her rest for a few days, and keep her hydrated."

"Thank you," Varian replied, picking his wife up and nestling her against his chest. She looked exhausted, and a wave of guilt washed over him. He was gone for too long. "Hammond, report to me in the morning. We'll finish discussing Darkshire then."

"Of course, Your Highness," Hammond replied with a salute. "May the Light be with you and your queen."

As soon as he had Braelyn back in the Keep, secured comfortably in their bed, he stuck his head out the door and called for one of his guards. "Fetch Mathias Shaw. Tell him I want a report of my wife's activities during the past three weeks."

The guard left, and Varian changed into his sleeping pants. Crawling into bed beside Braelyn, he pulled her against his side, pleased when she snuggled into him.

"Varian," she murmured in her sleep, lips twitching.

"I am here, little star," he replied, stroking her hair. "I have you."

* * *

><p>Braelyn woke up feeling a sorely missed sensation of warmth and security, and she knew what it meant. Her husband was home.<p>

"Varian?" she croaked. "What happened?"

"You overworked yourself, my dear," he replied, and she sensed his unhappiness. "I'm sorry I was gone so long." His hand was stroking her lower back, and she sighed, nuzzling her face against his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," she said with a yawn. "There was just so much to do... "

"I know. Mathias told me what you've been up to," Varian replied. "I'm so proud of you for the way you handled the problems in Darkshire. Ello Ebonlocke said that without your intervention the Alliance would have lost Duskwood."

"Hmmm, it felt awesome to be able to help," she mumbled sleepily, hand drifting idly across Varian's chest. "You need to fire Baldwin, though. Stupid jerk refused to respect my authoritah."

Varian let out a bark of laughter, and Braelyn smiled to hear it. She had missed it.

"I'll look into it, Your Majesty," he said, still laughing.

"Is everything well in Pandaria?" she asked, hands moving up to his hair, winding the silky black strands around her fingers.

"Don't you worry about that, Braelyn," Varian said. "Worry about regaining your strength."

"I don't know how you do it, Varian," she said abruptly changing the subject.

"Do what?"

"Everything. Running the Alliance, dealing with the nobles," Braelyn said waving a hand in the air. "It never ends, and people are so ungrateful. I hate what they say about you sometimes." She tightened her grip on Varian, and a tear ran down her cheek and onto his shoulder. "It all makes me feel so claustrophobic."

"I do it because I have to," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "Because it is my duty."

"And mine," Braelyn added stubbornly. "I won't let you deal with this alone any more."

"And I... honour you for that thought," Varian said, "but you will be cutting back. No more waiting on the nobles every night. Especially Lord Devereaux."

"But... "

"No buts," Varian told her firmly. "King's orders."

"Yes, Your Highness," Braelyn said, feeling a bit put out. Varian tickled her stomach, making her twitch and giggle.

"Are you hungry?" Varian asked her, rolling over to look down at her, his hair framing both their faces. "You've been asleep for over eighteen hours."

"And the city is still standing?" Braelyn asked in mock alarm. "Wow, Chelinka is really off her game."

"What do you want to eat?" Varian repeated. "Let me take care of you for a change."

"Well, I guess I _am _a bit peckish," she replied, giving in to the urge to trace the length of Varian's scar. His blue eyes flashed with amusement and another emotion she couldn't identify. "How about you bring me every edible item in the city? Including Learen's battle rations... you know, the ones he claims are tauren-jerky, but are really just beef."

"I'll see what I can do," Varian replied, hopping out of bed and heading for the door.

Braelyn watched him go, a little grin on her face. She was so glad he was home.

* * *

><p>"You know, Braelyn, there is a new rumour about you floating around the city," Anduin said as he and his stepmother played a game of chess after dinner one night. She was losing, she always did, but she loved the time she got to spend with the prince, especially when Varian was also nearby.<p>

It felt like being a normal family.

"I don't want to know!" Braelyn and Varian said in unison. Anduin laughed as he checked Braelyn's queen.

"I do!" Genn called out from where he was sitting with Lady Lucinda. The noblewoman had become a regular dinner companion at the Keep, and had taken a liking to the Gilnean monarch.

"I do believe I already know the rumour you refer to, your highness," Lucinda said with a playful smile at Braelyn. "Are you sure you don't want to know, Braelyn? It's a good one."

"Absolutely not!" Braelyn replied, glaring at her friend.

"Oh, now I have to know!" Genn said. "Have mercy on an old man, my dear."

"Genn, you are incorrigible," Varian sighed in defeat.

Lucinda laughed demurely and gestured for Anduin to make the revelation. Braelyn groaned, while Varian just shook his head.

"Well," Anduin said, rubbing his hands together with relish, "people are saying that reason Braelyn collapsed last week is because I have a sibling on the way."

Varian started to choke on his wine, while Braelyn jerked in shock and sent the chessboard to the floor with a flailing arm. "What?!" she yelled.

"You mean it isn't true?" Genn asked, sounding sad. "How disappointing. I love babies, and the Keep could do with a few little ones frolicking about the place."

"No, it isn't true!" Braelyn snapped. Honestly, didn't people have anything else to do with their time than gossip about her? "Not yet, anyway," she added, then blushed furiously as she realised what she'd said.

She glanced around the room. Anduin and Genn were busy laughing at her reaction. Lucinda was smirking at her, and raised her wineglass in a salute when she met the queen's gaze. Varian... he was staring at her, and as she met that intense gaze, her hand drifted to her stomach. His eyes followed her hand, and as they did, Braelyn recognised the emotion burning in their depths.

It was _want_.

* * *

><p>It wasn't everyday that Braelyn got summoned to the Royal Armory. Queens did not need weapons. In case of emergencies, they were to scream loudly until their guards or the king arrived and killed the nasty with their shiny metal sticks. If things were really bad, they were permitted to throw their shoes, or slap their attackers at close quarters.<p>

"Varian?" she asked as she walked into the armory. Her husband was standing by a covered armor stand, a weapon case on a table next to it. "You wanted to see me?"

"I always want to see you," he replied gallantly, and she had to stifle a giggle. Since the embarrassing incident a few nights ago, he had been acting differently, almost as if he were trying to court her. Braelyn assumed it was because he did want more children, and was hoping to persuade her to go along with his desire.

She didn't know what to make of that. She did want children, but Varian's? Or any nobleman's? she wasn't sure she wanted to bring a child into such an environment. Then again, Varian was a good man; she was sure he wouldn't treat his own children as commodities. He certainly didn't treat Anduin like one.

Not that she had a choice when it came to becoming a parent.

"Why am I here?" She finally asked, breaking herself out of her thoughts.

"I have a gift for you," Varian said. "I remembered what you said about feeling claustrophobic here, so I thought I'd give you something to help you deal with that."

Varian pulled the sheet off the armor stand, and Braelyn gasped at what he revealed.

It was the most beautiful set of armor she had seen, a perfect replica of Varian's own, customised to fit a female body, and made out of mail, not plate. She walked forward in a daze, and let her fingers trace over the lion's head pauldrons.

"It's beautiful!" she whispered, as Varian placed a hand on the small of her back.

"There's a weapon to match," he said. "Let me show you." He guided her over to the table and opened the case.

The bow was magnificent. Made of a dark, lustrous wood she recognised as coming from the Eastvale Logging Camp in Elwynn Forest, it was decorated with a gold lion's head at the centre of the arch. Gold claws capped the tips. The lion's head had sapphire eyes, and was enchanted to breathe blue fire.

Braelyn never dreamed she would ever own such a weapon. She picked it up; it was slightly heavier than she was used to, but nothing a few training sessions wouldn't fix.

She put it back in its case, gently, then turned to face Varian. "Thank you," she said, taking his hands in hers. "Varian, thank you so much. I take it this is your way of saying I can go hunting?"

Varian nodded. "Sometimes. Just stay close to the city, and your guard."

Braelyn laughed with pure joy, then raised herself on her tiptoes. She grabbed Varian's face in her hands and kissed him, putting all of her gratitude into that simple gesture. When he deepened the kiss, she didn't pull away, just wrapped her arms around him.

"I can't believe you got us matching armor," she said when they finally parted, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Just as people see me in my armor and recognise me as High King, so shall they see you in yours and know you as my Queen," Varian said, lips pressed against her ear. "And if anyone thinks about striking you with so much as a stick, they'll know whose wrath they will face."

"Yes," Braelyn said firmly. "Mine. Because a stick? That's just insulting. Bring a real weapon or go home, fools. Unless they just want to play fetch with Bitey. In that case, a stick is fine."

Varian growled low in her ear as their guards attempted to stifle their laughter.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, while Varian was in his study with Genn and Mathias Shaw, Braelyn slipped into the throne room dressed in her new armor. Her hair, temporarily enchanted to look black, was up in a high ponytail, her fringe framing her face. A large, fake scar was drawn across the bridge of her nose and over her cheeks. When the three men entered the throne room, she looked at them with the sternest, most intimidating stare she could manage.<p>

Shaw started clapping his hands, a broad smile on his face, while Varian stared back at her nonplussed. "That better be an enchantment," he said, pointing at her hair, "and that scar better be fake, or someone is going to die."

Genn laughed himself sick for hours.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>no matter I do, my stories always go a little silly. Poor Braelyn, that's some serious denial she's in. I know I said they'd be an argument, but I wanted to build the emotional tension up a bit first.

Next Chapter: Braelyn and Varian disagree on what constitutes hunting, and the fallout has some serious consequences for their relationship.


	12. This time rogues aren't to blame

In hindsight, Braelyn should have been a little more skeptical about Varian's willingness to let her go hunting. She thought that by 'stick close to your guard', he meant the five people assigned to her in the Keep. She also interpreted 'stay close to the city' as anywhere within a day's ride.

She was wrong.

If the Queen ever left the city, her guard was doubled. 'Close to the city' actually meant the small wooded area directly outside the city gates. The same area that was heavily infested with people who claimed to be heroes of the Alliance, but who spent most of their time dueling each other and comparing mounts, weapons, and armor, and not actually helping all that much.

Any animals in the area would be long gone, scared off by either the heroes, or her own guards.

Her hunt turned out to be about as relaxing as a stroll through Blackrock Spire.

She tried again, this time ignoring Varian's wishes and heading for the land surrounding the Eastvale Logging camp. Her bodyguard scared off everything worth hunting, and after a while the locals became aware of her presence and Braelyn felt obligated to spend some quality Queen time with them.

"I don't see what the problem is," Varian said when she complained about it for the millionth time. "Nobles go hunting in large parties all the time."

"That is _not _hunting!" Braelyn scoffed, offended by her husband's words. "That is a group of idiots roaming round shooting anything that moves, then patting each other on the back and saying how awesome they all are."

But Varian wouldn't budge. "You can go hunting," he told her, "you just can't go on your own."

In the end, Braelyn gave up trying to make him understand, and took her frustration out on the training dummies outside of SI: 7. Learen, the angry little gnome rogue whom Braelyn disagreed with on everything, was nearby, complaining bitterly about being on guard rotation again.

Stab the Tauren Day, and he was missing it.

He also kept referring to Braelyn as 'Her Royal Bully's Eye'. In the end, she lost her temper, forcing the gnome into a pig costume. She then tied an apple to his head, and used him as a moving target.

Shoot the Annoying Gnome Day, and the queen was enjoying it immensely.

_I have to get out of here, _she thought. _I need some time on my own. But how?_

The next morning, she went to the Cathedral of Light to see Odariah. Varian thought she would be helping her friend Chelinka plan the priestess' wedding to Andorien, but she also intended to use the time to plot her escape to somewhere quiet.

The plan went like this; Braelyn would return to the Keep with her friends in tow, claiming to be unwell. They'd lock themselves in her room so she could 'recover', Chelinka would open a portal to Duskwood, Braelyn would go hunting for a few hours, returning via another portal.

Braelyn gets some alone time, Varian never finds out, everybody wins.

That was plan.

There was just one small problem; when Chelinka went to the pre-arranged meeting point to collect the queen, Braelyn wasn't there.

* * *

><p>Braelyn's joy at being out in the wild again was nigh on infinite. She had all three of her pets with her, and it was hard to tell who was the happiest. She had taken care of a few feral worgen left over from the Battle, as well as some restless spirits near Raven Hill, being careful to stay out of sight of the small settlement there.<p>

Apart from that, she'd hardly touched her weapon at all, preferring to run free among the trees. Some would call it frolicking, but Braelyn would call it... well, she'd call it frolicking, too.

_How long has it been since it was just me and my animals? _she thought as she watched a flock of ravens fly overhead. _Too long._

Wrapped up in her own happiness, Braelyn failed to notice how quickly the time passed. It wasn't until she caught sight of how long the shadows were that she realised she'd missed her meeting with Chelinka.

"Shit," she swore under her breath, she headed back to the small hill just behind the old Yorgen Farmstead, hoping that Chelinka was still there. She'd owe the mage big time.

Puffing slightly, she crested the hill, grinning when she saw that both Chelinka and Odariah were there. She was about to apologise, when she noticed that both women were looking behind Braelyn, and _cowering in fear. _Bitey let out a happy growl and launched himself on someone approaching her from behind. A sudden feeling of dread hammering in her heart, she turned around.

"Hello, Braelyn."

_Oh, he looks mad. So very, very mad._

"Varian! What are you doing here?" Braelyn asked, focusing on the sight of Bitey gnawing on Varian's boots, rather than on her husband's face.

"I believe I should be asking _you _that," he snarled, and Braelyn flinched. She had never seen him this angry before. His fury was like a heatwave radiating from his body, and those eyes... no wonder even Chelinka was petrified.

Varian stalked forward and took hold of Braelyn's hand. She got the feeling he was checking her over for injuries, but before she could reassure him, he snarled at Chelinka to open a portal.

"When we get to Stormwind, mage," he said, "make yourself scarce. I suggest Outland. Odariah, I suggest you and that druid of yours pay a visit to his family for a while."

"Varian!" Braelyn protested, trying to pull her hand free. "You can't just banish them for helping me!"

"Do not presume to tell me what to do, wife," Varian replied, pulling her through the portal.

Braelyn gasped. _He did __**not **__just say that._

They arrived in the Keep's armory, Varian ordering Odariah and Chelinka out as soon as they arrived. Both women fled without a word or a glance backwards. Braelyn tried to follow them, but her husband would not release her hand. He began pulling the armor from her body, throwing it to the floor. When he had stripped her down to the linen pants and silk shirt she wore underneath, he began dragging her upstairs.

"Put the queen's armor under lock and key," he said as he left. "She is not allowed access to it without my permission."

"No!" Braelyn said loudly. "Varian, let me go!" She dug her heels into the rugs and grabbed at the walls with her free hand. Anything to try to free herself from Varian's grasp. He said nothing, just turned around and picked her up. Her arms and legs flailed uselessly against him as he strode into their chambers and slammed the door.

"Do you have _any _idea how worried I was when Odariah came and told me what you'd done, and that you'd disappeared?"

"I was just in Duskwood... " Braelyn began before Varian cut her off.

"Duskwood?" he shouted, and Braelyn flinched. "There was armed conflict there not long ago, or have you forgotten?"

"Of course not! But I've been there before, and to other places twice as dangerous. Back when I was an adventurer, and I protected myself just fine."

"Is that how you ended up in Silvermoon?" Varian demanded, and Braelyn reared from him. He stared at her in silence for a minute before continuing. "You're my wife, Braelyn; do you have any idea of what could happen if you were killed or captured? What that would do to me and Anduin? Or our people?"

Braelyn watched as Varian dragged a hand through his hair. "I set those conditions on you for a reason," he said. "Your safety is _everything _to me."

"I appreciate your concern, Varian," Braelyn said in an attempt to calm her irate husband down. "But I am not a helpless little girl. Why can you not accept that?"

Varian did not calm down. In fact, Braelyn thought he became even angrier. "You will not leave the Keep without your bodyguard again," he said firmly. "In fact, you will not leave the Keep at all, unless it's an emergency, or you are accompanying me. If I'm away, Genn must be with you. If you have visitors, they must be in a room where you can be adequately supervised."

Braelyn stared at Varian, appalled. He couldn't be serious. She wasn't in any danger at any stage of her trip, yet he was acting as if she had charged into Orgrimmar and challenged the Warchief to a duel.

"I am more than just your wife, Varian," she said, her own eyes glowing with anger. "I am a person, not some doll you can parade around town whenever you feel like it and then lock away in a cupboard. You have _no _right... "

"Oh, I have _every _right," Varian hissed. "I'm the king."

"And I'm the bloody Queen!" she spat back.

"Then act like it!" he challenged, eyes spitting fire. "And it's Queen Consort, if you want to get technical," he added, "which means you are very much subject to my rule."

"I can't believe you're doing this," Braelyn said. "I would have been better off married to Jack," she added in disgust.

"Do _not_ compare me with him," Varian growled menacingly.

Braelyn just shook her head. Where had her husband gone? The one who held her so tenderly? Treated her with such respect?

"I told you that I feared marrying you because I didn't want to be locked in cage," she reminded him coldly, "and here you are, Mr Jailor."

Varian clenched his jaw, hands forming into fists at his side. "Prove to me that I can trust you, Braelyn, and I will give you your freedom back," he said coldly. "Show me that you can be a proper Queen for our people."

Braelyn turned her back on him, unable to believe how unreasonable he was being. She heard Varian opening their bedroom door, turning to say one last thing to her.

"Tiffin _never _would have acted like this."

Braelyn gasped in pain as he slammed the door shut, a shaft of white-hot pain shooting through her heart. So wretched was her misery, she didn't even register the sound of Varian locking the door behind him.

Tiffin.

Varian's beloved first wife and the woman whose memory Braelyn struggled to live up to every day since she'd married him and become the Queen of Stormwind. Anduin's revered mother. The woman whose presence lingered everywhere in the city, and invaded her dreams.

_They'll never love me the way they loved her._

Braelyn sighed, moving to the door, thinking that a walk around the courtyard might help clear her head so she could find a way to escape her new cage.

The door wouldn't open.

She pulled on it, kicked at it, yelled for her guards. But her guards didn't come, and the door wouldn't open.

"I should have married Jack, Varian!" she yelled in anger. "I should have married Jack!"

* * *

><p>Varian kept Braelyn locked in their chambers for two days, and chose to sleep elsewhere. Braelyn wept out of frustration, anger, and self-pity. One stupid mistake born out of desperation, and she <em>did <em>consider her trip to Duskwood a mistake, and she was now locked away like a prisoner.

On the third day, Dominic came to summon her to the king's study. She almost refused to go, but realised that if she did, Varian would just come and drag her down there. He'd more than proven he was willing to ignore her wishes to get what he wanted.

Braelyn was relieved to see she wouldn't be alone with Varian; Mathias Shaw was there, as was Learen. With them was a third SI: 7 agent, a woman known as Crimson Fox. Braelyn had only ever seen her three times before, so was curious to as why she was here now.

Varian got straight to the point. "From now on Braelyn," he said, not even looking at her, "Fox and Learen are joining your security detail. You won't ever see them, won't be able to tell where they are, but they _will _be there, watching over you."

"Spying on me, you mean," Braelyn muttered, glaring at the rogues. Learen responded in kind, a vindictive glimmer in his eye, but Fox seemed sympathetic, as if she felt bad for the queen's predicament.

"See it how you will," Varian said bluntly. "Now go join Genn in the throne room. He's been asking for you, and the people would like to see you, I'm sure."

"I don't want... "

"Just go, Braelyn. You're the queen. You have responsibilities, just as I have mine as King."

The abrupt dismissal stung, but Braelyn got up with as much dignity as she could muster, walking to the throne room with her head held high. She had tears in her eyes when she greeted Genn, who kissed her hand gently.

"Oh, Braelyn, what can I do?" he asked gently, shielding her from the few petitioners that were gathered there.

"I don't think there's anything you can do," she replied, squeezing his hand and gracing him with a small smile, "other than stand with me now, and help see me through this."

"His anger won't last forever, my dear," Genn said.

"I know," Braelyn agreed, but her relationship with Varian was already beginning to change.

From that moment on, she smiled at him no longer. She looked and spoke to him only when they were in public, and only when she had to. She ate her meals quickly, staying just long enough to make sure that Anduin and Genn were all right. Her stepson was worried about his parents, but whenever he spoke to them, they told him that it was something that could only be remedied by the other.

At night Braelyn would attempt to sleep in new chambers, only to wake back in her own bed, locked in the cage of her husband's embrace. She began to have weird dreams; dreams of her days as an adventurer, dreams of her own death at Varian's hand. She dreamt of Silvermoon City, and the nights she'd spent curled up with Rommath in his library.

She had never hated Rommath for his decision to send her away before, but she did now. If she'd been able to stay, would they have been married by now? Would she be a mother? Would she be happy?

Every time Braelyn woke up, she felt a little thinner, a little _lighter, _as if her dreams had stolen away some essential part of her soul. She would stare at the ceiling and wonder, just how long would Varian continue to punish her for one stupid mistake?

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>This chapter may be a bit shorter than I'd like, but I wanted the whole of it to remain in stark contrast to the previous chapter. Braelyn had started to feel confident about being the queen, and to think she could be happy with Varian. In this chapter, Varian has absolutely annihilated all that.

Next chapter: A visit from Lucinda Bellweather forces Varian to see what his efforts to keep Braelyn safe are really doing to her. He tries to fix things, but will he be able to stop his little star from fading out?


	13. Little Star

When Braelyn was forced into unhappy situations, one of two things usually happened; she either fell into a state of melancholy, or she got pissy in a way that teenage girls could only dream about. She'd had her bout of melancholy for the year, so angry it was.

Unfortunately for her, Braelyn had little power when in came to dealing with Varian, so she had no alternative but to become passive aggressive. She may not be allowed to leave the Keep, but she was still allowed to send letters and receive guests.

For as long as Varian continued to keep her under lock and key, he had to endure a flood of nobles to the Keep, including Jack Devereaux, and a flood of angry letters from Braelyn's family. And because she stuck to his rules, and received her guests in open areas, there was nothing he could do.

She may have hated Jack, but her anger at Varian was greater, and the look on her husband's face when he saw her with the man she said she would have been happier marrying was worth the rogue's presence in her life.

But as the days wore on, and Varian showed no sign of relenting, Braelyn began to despair.

Someone's will had to break, but she didn't want it to be hers.

* * *

><p>He knew it was wrong. He knew <em>he <em>was wrong.

Varian watched as the days passed and Braelyn continued to direct her fury and contempt towards him as best she was able. Her mother and father were furious, and in the end, he had them banned from the Keep, because he just didn't know how to deal with their justified anger any longer.

The nobles were easy to handle, he'd been dealing with them his entire life. Just stare them down, and pretend to care what they say.

Except for Jack Devereaux. How it pained Varian to see that man with his little star, that look of mischief mixed with lust always in his eyes. He wanted to kill the rogue, or at the very least have him stripped of his titles and banished from the city. But he didn't, because Braelyn seemed to enjoy Jack's company, and after all Varian had done to her, she deserved any happiness she could find.

Varian knew he should end it. That he should restore her liberty and spend the rest of his life begging for her forgiveness, but he was a proud man. To fix things involved admitting he was wrong, and worse still, that he had acted out of fear. A fear so strong that it could only manifest as anger.

The mighty King Varian of Stormwind: a coward and a fool.

And he was _still_ afraid. Terrified out of his mind that he would lose Braelyn to the Horde, to some assassin's blade, or to some simple twist of fate.

He marvelled at how wrong he had been on so many things. It seemed a lifetime ago that he thought that _he _was doing Braelyn a favour by marrying her, that he was saving her reputation. All along it was Braelyn who had saved _him_. Braelyn who had married beneath her. Braelyn who had sacrificed so much of herself to become his queen.

And he had repaid her by destroying her confidence just days after she'd proven what a wonderful queen she is. She had saved a part of their kingdom, and he had thrown the memory of his first wife in her face. The sound she had made, that pained gasp, haunted him.

He prayed for her forgiveness, but knew he could never forgive himself.

Varian was roused from his thoughts by Genn making a small unhappy sound. He turned around and saw Dominic escorting Lord Devereaux from the throne room, the noble looking pleased with himself.

"Dominic!" Varian called. "Was Lord Devereaux here to see Queen Braelyn?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the steward confirmed. "He's been here for several hours."

"Where is the queen now?" Varian demanded, red-hot jealousy streaking through his veins, even though he knew that he had no right to feel it, not over Braelyn.

"She's in the courtyard with Prince Anduin, Your Majesty."

Varian was moving before Dominic had finished his sentence.

"Varian, my boy, don't make things worse for her," Genn warned as Varian stormed off, but the king waved a hand in angry dismissal.

Varian marched into the courtyard, only to come to a stop in the doorway when he saw his wife and son. Braelyn was sobbing her heart out, Anduin holding her and doing his best to comfort her.

The king was torn; go to his wife and comfort her, or chase down Lord Devereaux and kill him for upsetting Braelyn.

"It's not Lord Devereaux that upset her so," another voice spoke, and Varian turned to see Lady Lucinda Bellweather standing behind him.

"Lady Bellweather, _now _is most definitely not the time..."

"You are the king, your majesty," Lucinda interrupted, a stoney glint in her green eyes, "but you need to remember who _I _am."

Varian swore under his breath. He knew the diminutive woman standing in front of him was the head of the house of nobles, which meant that while he could have her removed from his presence, he'd pay dearly for it.

"What do you mean, Lucinda? If not that man, then who?"

"Listen and find out," was the noblewoman's cryptic response, so Varian refocused his attention on his wife and son.

"You and my father need to sit down and talk," Anduin said, rubbing his stepmother's back.

"What's the point of talking with him now?" Braelyn sobbed. "I already tried, and he wouldn't listen. He just locked me in our chambers."

"My father cares for you, I know he does," his son tried again. "Just like I know you care for him. Don't deny it! We all saw how happy you were when he returned from Pandaria."

"I did care for him!" Braelyn cried, clutching at her heart with a trembling hand. "I think I could have even come to love him. Then he put me in a cage, and I hate it! I hate it! And if I stay like this any longer I will hate him!"

Varian gasped, feeling as if his heart had been frozen and crushed at the same time. She had been on the verge of loving him and now... The thought of Braelyn hating him nearly destroyed him.

On their wedding day Varian had sworn to himself that he would win her heart, and was confident he would fulfill that vow. Now, he learnt that instead of capturing her heart, he was breaking it. He was losing Braelyn because of his own foolishness more efficiently than at the blade of an enemy assassin.

"It is not too late to redeem yourself, my King," Lucinda said quietly. She laid her hand on his arm, and Varian felt strength and compassion in the noblewoman's grip. "But you will have to move quickly to regain her trust. The queen feels strongly, and holds out hope far longer than most, but once she loses it, it is not easy to reclaim."

"How?" Varian asked, overwhelmed at the task facing him. He would do anything to keep his little star, but where did he start?

"Try the obvious, Your Highness," Lucinda said with dry amusement, as if entertained by his panic. "Let your precious bird out of the cage you put her in."

"I can do that, Lucinda," he said, glaring at her for her impertinence, but his eyes lacked the intensity they would have held had she not been helping him with Braelyn.

_I can do that._

* * *

><p>Braelyn thought about sneaking off to one of the guest quarters, but discarded the idea when she heard Varian enter the room. She could always tell it was him because of the way he stomped about in that plate armor.<p>

Plus, he had to spend five minutes every night detaching Bitey from his ankles.

"Braelyn," Varian said, and she turned to face her husband, jaw tilted upwards and a stubborn glint in her eye. To her surprise, he was actually looking at her. For the first time in almost three weeks, Varian was staring her in the eye.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him when he walked up to her. He attempted to touch her face, but she backed away. "You don't get to touch me anymore."

Varian dropped his hand and stepped back. Braelyn didn't know what to think of that.

"I thought you might like to know that as of now, I am reinstating your rights and privileges."

"You're what?" Braelyn asked, looking startled. She wasn't expecting Varian to back down like this. "Why?"

"I'm not a monster, Braelyn," Varian said, his voice full of regret. "I'm just a foolish man full of too much pride and fear."

"Fear?" Braelyn asked him, taking a little step towards him. The look Varian gave her was so intense it pierced her soul. "What were you afraid of?"

"I've already buried one wife, little star," he said to her. "I do not want to have to bury another. When Odariah came to me and said you were missing, I feared the worst, feared that Anduin and I had lost another woman who bound our family together. I've never dealt well with fear, so it tends to turn to anger. I took that anger out on you, and behaved abhorrently."

Braelyn watched as Varian knelt slowly at her feet. "I am sorry, Braelyn," he said, and she could feel his sincerity. "I can only ask that you try to forgive me. Know that I will never hurt you this way again. That I swear to you on the life of my son."

"So, I can leave the Keep whenever I want?" she asked, not quite believing Varian's change of heart. "And my friends and family can come back? If I take my guards, I can leave Stormwind?"

"Yes."

"Will you let me sleep alone?" Braelyn asked, knowing it was the real test. She knew Varian liked to have her tucked up beside him when he slept.

"If you wish it," he said, but she heard the saddness in his voice. "I will go to the guest quarters."

Braelyn watched as her husband gathered up a few belongings. She wasn't sure what to say or do. She'd been so angry with him for so long, and now the reasons for that anger were gone. But the anger had left a barrier between them, a barrier she knew would take some time to break through. He had hurt her, badly, and she needed to regain her trust in him.

"Goodnight, Braelyn," Varian said from the doorway, a look of regret still lingering in his blue eyes. "Will you join us for breakfast?"

"Yes, Varian, I'll be there," she replied softly. "Sleep well."

After the door closed behind her husband, Braelyn climbed in to her own bed and settled down to sleep. She had wanted to be alone, and she knew she needed to be alone, but being in that huge bed on her own felt unnatural.

It was then Braelyn realised that, given enough time, everything would work itself out.

* * *

><p>The next day began tentatively, with Braelyn joining Varian, Anduin, and Genn for breakfast. She sat next to her husband and made an effort to engage him in conversation, though she still would not allow physical contact. She was happy to see how relieved Anduin and Genn were to see that the royal couple were attempting to make up.<p>

"Will you join us in the throne room today, my dear?" Genn asked. "We've both missed having you there."

"Yes, I can do that," Braelyn said, smiling at the old king, who had become a second father to her. She looked at Varian from under her lashes, noticing the pleased look that flashed briefly in his eyes. He really was happy just to have her company, to have her nearby, even if she wouldn't let him touch her. She didn't understand why.

Days passed, and Braelyn grew more and more comfortable in Varian's presence. She was spending more time in his company, and beginning to smile again. He took her walking by Olivia's Pond, the place where he had 'proposed' to her for the second time. Not once did he tease her for the way in which she'd refused him, never spoke of how she'd fallen off the jetty. She could tell by the twitch of his lips that he wanted to, but still, he held back.

She let him hold her hand all the way home.

The only problem Braelyn faced in this time was Jack Devereaux. In her desire to hurt Varian as he was hurting her, she had allowed the rogue to gain a foothold in her life, and he was reluctant to relinquish it. She discovered that if he could not have her as a wife, Jack wanted to claim her as a mistress.

Braelyn was disgusted. With herself as well as Jack. What a fool she'd been. She never would have succumbed to him, but she felt tainted all the same.

Varian allowed her to deal with Jack as she saw fit, and Braelyn banished the rogue from her life under punishment of exile.

When she saw how relieved Varian was by her actions, she learned just how successful her attempt to wound her husband had been.

"I'm sorry," she said, placing a soft kiss on the palm of his hand.

Varian shook his head. "Do not apologise. It was nothing I did not bring on myself."

The real turning point in their reconciliation came when the Horde raided Goldshire again.

"Come with me, Braelyn," Varian said, and they rode into battle together, and the villagers rejoiced to see the pair drive the invaders away at the head of a small army.

There were times when she caught the fear in Varian's eyes when he saw her under attack, but he did not send her away, merely charging over to force her attackers back and give her the distance she needed. She felt fear herself, when he was wounded. It was but a small cut, yet still she screamed for Andorien to tend him, not leaving his side while the druid worked his magic.

The house of nobles was in an uproar at the idea of the Queen going into battle. Braelyn laughed as Varian told the people they had a lioness for a queen, a formidable fighter in her own right. A true champion of Stormwind.

"Would you have me force her to change who she is? Would you deny her the right to defend the people she loves?" Varian asked the people.

The people said no, and the nobles backed down. Lucinda saw to that.

"Can I go fight in Pandaria now?" Braelyn teased him that night. She had allowed him back into their chambers, and Varian had wasted no time in gathering her up against him. She heard the happy sigh he heaved when he wove his fingers through her hair as her own fingers danced lightly across his chest.

"No," Varian replied firmly. "If Lo'Gosh cannot go fighting, neither can you. And, I must confess, the idea of you fighting without me scares me to death. I want to be there to protect you, to avenge you should my nightmare come true."

"I feel the same about you," Braelyn admitted, and he hugged her so tightly she saw stars.

She woke up in the morning still firmly ensconced in his arms. She did not feel imprisoned. She felt like she was home.

* * *

><p>Braelyn's birthday arrived and was celebrated with much pomp and ceremony, but two things really stood out in her mind. The first was meeting Commander Althea Ebonlocke of Duskwood's Nightwatch, who had come to thank her for her efforts to save Darkshire. Braelyn was proud to be called queen when Althea presented her with a special tabard, and named her a honourary member and patron of the Watch.<p>

She wore the tabard over her blue dress, not caring that they clashed, and showed it off to her husband and stepson, who applauded while they grinned at her joy.

But the greatest present she received came from Varian, who took her down to the Lake. He'd arranged to take her for a ride in the balloon belonging to the city's Pandaren inhabitants.

"I hate to fly," Braelyn reminded Varian, her stomach tightening with nerves.

"We won't be flying," he said to her softly. "We'll be floating, and I'll be with you."

"Well, all right then," she said reluctantly, "but if I throw up, I'm blaming you for ruining my birthday."

Varian laughed, and lifted her into the balloon's basket. "Fair enough," he said. "I'll be sure to see myself off to the guest chambers."

The basket rose into the sky just as the sun was setting. She stayed within the comforting circle of Varian's arms as they watched the horizon bleed orange and pink. It was peaceful hanging there, suspended in the air, while a breeze blew her hair around their faces, tangling it with that of her husbands. The contrast between black and light brown fascinated her.

When the sky darkened, and stars twinkled into existence, Braelyn remembered something she'd been meaning to ask Varian for a long time.

"Varian, why do you call me 'little star'?"

Her husband pointed off into the distance, to where a particularly bright star shone. "You see that star there? The one that outshines every other star around it?" he asked. Braelyn nodded, slightly distracted by the feel of his lips against her ear.

"To me, you are that star. The brightest thing in my sky. Your light guides me, gives me hope. Comforts me in the darkness," he said, rubbing his hands up and down her sides. "Watches over me when I am away. Reminds me that I have so much to live for, when it seems like I have nothing."

Braelyn could not speak for a long time, silenced by the rush of her emotions. No one had ever said anything so romantic to her before, not even Rommath. The profound beauty of what he said brought her to tears, and she found herself unable to do anything except turn around in his arms to hug him to her.

She felt the warmth of his body seep into her hers, feel her heart beating its way out of her chest in an attempt to merge with his. She pulled back so she could stare at him, the tears still trailing down her cheeks.

"What did I do to deserve such devotion?" Braelyn asked him, her voice trembling.

"It was the frolicking," Varian said, laughing when she punched him on the arm.

"Dork," she said with an affectionate smile. She lifted her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his, kissing him with a fierceness to match that of the night in the courtyard.

They broke apart, panting, and Braelyn watched Varian staring at her with longing in his eyes, his face tense. "I think we should get back to the Keep," she said hoarsely. "I feel a frolic coming on, and as you said, married women should never frolic in public."

Varian dashed to the side of the basket, shouting down to the men below. "Get us down from here, now!"

* * *

><p>That night, Braelyn made love to her husband for the first time. They spoke, not with words, but with their bodies, and their conversation was sweet and full of joy.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>and I think I just gave myself diabetes. This chapter was hard. I wanted to convey the passing of time as they gradually made up without needing 20k words to do it in. I had planned to have B go on a trip to Darnassus, but it kind of ruined the flow of things. And, no, Jack isn't gone for good.

Next Chapter: Braelyn discovers just how hard Varian finds it being king as tensions begin to boil over in Pandaria. And old enemies rise to threaten her new-found happiness.


	14. Premonition

The morning after her birthday, Braelyn woke up feeling blissful, with a deep-seated contentment flowing through her body. She was amazed at how one day, and a few simple words, could change life so dramatically.

She rolled over and propped herself up off the bed with one arm, looking down at Varian, who was still sleeping. He looked so relaxed when he was alseep, and much younger, his face peaceful, and a small smirk on his lips. He had been so proud of himself last night.

Braelyn traced the tips of her fingers along his face, feather light so as not to wake him. It was rare for her to wake up before him, and she wanted to make the most of this precious time to memorize how he looked in this moment.

Her fingers drifted down his neck and across the broad shoulders that carried so much responsibility. She settled her hand over his heart, and bent down to kiss his forehead.

She cared for this man so much, but did she love him?

Braelyn thought about it, a small frown on her lips. She felt like she could love him, as if the emotion was there, trapped beneath her breastbone, just waiting to burst forth. What was it that made her so hesitant to love him? He was not Rommath. He would never push her away like the blood elf had done, even were he in a position to do so.

Yes, Varian had hurt her by trying to protect her, but he had been trying to hold her too tightly, rather than sending her away.

Fear.

That's what it had to be. An irrational fear that somehow things will end badly, and she'd end up that emotional wreck she'd been back in Goldshire.

Braelyn swore she'd find a way to overcome that fear. _He deserves to have my heart, and all that I am._

"Why are you frowning, little star?" Varian asked, startling Braelyn from her thoughts. His hand tightened around her waist, while the other reached up to tangle in her light brown hair. His eyes, which she had always found so mesmerizing, were concerned, running over her body to see if she was all right.

"Just thinking, Varian," she replied, giving him a lop-sided smile and running her hand back up to his face.

"Hmmm," Varian said. "I don't think I like you thinking things that make you look so sad."

"Perhaps you should give me something else to think about," Braelyn said with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows, then squealed as Varian grabbed her and rolled over, pinning her to the bed.

"I can do that," he growled, before kissing her hungrily. His blues darkened with lust as he stared down at her. "You will think only of me, now and always."

* * *

><p>Braelyn was asleep in their bed, a soft smile on her beautiful face, as Varian worked through the night. He wanted desperately to join his wife, to wrap her small body in his arms and sleep, knowing that when he held her, he felt at peace.<p>

But, thanks to Jaina Proudmoore, that was not going to happen. He would probably be still at his desk when she woke up in the morning.

Varian sighed, throwing Admiral Taylor's report across the room. Jaina's thirst for vengeance against the Sunreavers had caused her to launch an assault against Horde forces stationed on the Isle of Thunder. Although they had achieved success in the first stage of the attack, their good luck had soon deserted them. Now, instead of holding possession of almost half the island, they barely held more than their initial landing area.

Although no one had been able to provide him with final numbers, Varian knew that the Alliance and Kirin Tor losses would be catastrophic.

"Damn it!" he swore quietly, thumping his fist on the desk. He hated this, he really did. Being in charge, being the one responsible for keeping the Alliance together, and its peoples safe. If he could get out there on the field of battle more regularly, let Lo'gosh loose on his enemies, it would be so much easier to deal with.

But he couldn't. As the king, he was needed elsewhere, to handle things with words and very little action.

Varian loved his people, he truly did, but sometimes the responsibility of caring for them felt like a cage, and the rewards not worth the losses he suffered on a personal level.

"Varian?" Braelyn asked with a yawn. He looked over to see her sitting up, a sheet wrapped around her naked body, and her hair a glorious tangle around her bright face.

He never tired of looking at her, of knowing that she was waiting for him at the end of a long day with a smile and soft kiss. He was beginning to think that the best thing about being king was that it had enabled him to rescue her from Jack and make her his wife.

So many of the things that bothered him about his life just fell away when she looked at him with those ocean eyes of hers.

"I'm sorry, little star," he said apologetically. "I did not mean to wake you. Go back to sleep, I'll join you when I can."

He watched as Braelyn swung her graceful legs out of bed. She walked over to him, draping herself across his lap. He wrapped an arm around her, and she nuzzled his cheek.

"I can't go back to sleep knowing you're still awake, Varian," she said, even though she yawned as she said it. "Is there anything I can help you with? Perhaps I can deal with some of these letters."

"Just stay where you are," Varian replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Stay with me."

She smiled at him, one of those beams of starlight that he so adored. "I can do that," she said, and snuggled into his chest.

Braelyn fell asleep five minutes later, but he could not bear to return her to the bed and lose her comforting warmth. When she woke up again, the sun was peaking through the curtains, and Varian was still working, a smile on his lips.

* * *

><p>"I don't want you to go," Braelyn said softly, her hands resting on Varian's armor covered chest.<p>

"And I don't want to leave you," Varian replied, ignoring their audience, and giving her a soft kiss. "Genn and I are needed in Pandaria, however. The situation with the Kirin Tor's actions on the Isle of Thunder needs dealing with."

"Promise me you'll stay safe?" Braelyn asked.

"I will try, little star, I promise you that," her husband replied, and she knew that it was all he could over in the way of comfort. She felt him caress her waist. "Promise _me _you'll take care of yourself while I'm gone. I don't want you fainting in the street again when you come to welcome me home."

"I can do that," Braelyn said, softly. "Just don't be gone long. I'll miss you."

"As I will miss you," Varian said, giving her a final kiss goodbye before heading through a mage's portal to the Shrine of Seven Stars. He turned to give her a last longing stare, before disappearing.

Braelyn tried to smile, to be reassuring for Anduin, who looked as unsettled as she felt. She hugged him with one arm, as they walked out of the Keep and towards the Cathedral of Light. They both felt the need to pray for the man who meant so much to both of them.

Braelyn shuddered as they walked along the canals, her guards close at her heels. For some reason, Varian's trip to Pandaria terrified her, her stomach a tangled knot of anxiety. No matter how hard she prayed, she could not rid herself of the fear that her husband was in terrible danger.

_Light grant me this wish: keep my husband safe, and bathed in the glory of radiance. May my husband return to me as hale and hearty as he was when he left._

* * *

><p>A week later, Braelyn received word that her terrible premonition had come to pass. The Shrine of Seven Stars was in ruins, and King Varian was dead.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>yes, you may throw things at me for that horrible, horrible cliffhanger.

This update was brought to you today by the sentence 'your position in queue: 5560' on all servers that I play on. I was on Zul'jin when the xpac went live, and it was awful. No. Just no.

So I'm a gonna level a toon on a low pop server for a few weeks.

Next Chapter: Queen Braelyn heads to Pandaria while Anduin stays in Stormwind to console the people.


	15. The Queen's lament

Braelyn was in the throne room when they told her that her husband was dead. She'd known something was wrong the moment Genn walked in with her parents and Mathias Shaw by his side, Anduin and his guard bringing up the rear, but it was still a shock to hear the words. To give a name to the mass of fear that had choked her for the past week.

They expected her to cry, to collapse to the ground in a wailing heap. She didn't; instead, she stood, still and silent as a grave. Numb and disbelieving, she wondered how Genn could think that such a cruel joke was acceptable.

Then Anduin had made a small choking sound. Braelyn turned and looked at the young man she'd come to love as her own son, and the heartbroken expression on his face, one that he was trying hard to hide from the others, is what finally broke her.

But she still didn't cry.

Braelyn _screamed_; a battle cry of primal fury that startled her parents so much that her father let go of her arm. As soon as she was free she launched herself at Genn, not knowing why it had to be the Gilnean who suffered her wrath. All she knew was that she had to scratch and kick and claw and bite until all her anger was spent.

"Your Majesty!" Mathias Shaw shouted, grabbing her around the waist. Crimson Fox grabbed her other side, while Learen attached himself to her legs.

But Braelyn still kept moving forward, growling under her breath. She was speaking, but couldn't hear herself over the furious pounding in her brain.

"Damn it, woman!" Learen swore, his little feet scrabbling to find purchase as they tangled in her skirts. "You should have known that this would happen. That man had a bullseye painted on his back at birth, just as his son did. As did you the day you married him. A dead man walking, that's what the king was, what you are."

Braelyn froze. Her gaze drifted down to the gnome. Anyone else would have fled the area at such a look, but not Learen. The rogue glared back at her, unrepentant.

"You'd best be concentrating on finding the bastards that did this, so I can go teach them a lesson."

"He had guards," Braelyn said coldly, "and SI: 7 agents. They were meant to keep my 'dead man' walking a lot longer. Where were they, Shaw?"

"Dead," Shaw replied, bluntly. He saw that Braelyn was in no mood for tea and sympathy, so didn't bother softening his tone. "To a man. All of them went down fighting for their king, Your Highness, never question that."

"We should take this into the office," Braelyn's mother said firmly. She grabbed Braelyn in one hand and Anduin in the other, dragging them into Varian's office.

Braelyn stared at the desk, remembering all the times she'd been in here with her husband. She couldn't bear the sight if it, so she leaned on the edge of it, her son copying the gesture. She wrapped an arm around him, and held him close, fuming at the injustice of it all. She was all he had left now.

"What happened?" she demanded as soon as Shaw and her parents settled themselves. Dominic hovered in the background, his face pale, for once not knowing what to do.

"Half way through the Council meeting, the Shrine exploded," Shaw said, face grim and hands clenched into fists. "The Council all managed to survive, thank the Light, but the city was in chaos, dead and injured everywhere. We started evacuating as many people as we could, guiding them outside."

"Then how... " Ellysan said, her hand rubbing Braelyn's back.

"We were attacked as soon as the king made it outside."

"So, Varian was the target?" Jasper asked. Shaw nodded.

"Was it the Horde?" Braelyn asked, voice surprisingly steady. She felt the grief welling up inside of her, but she wouldn't give in to it, not yet. Not until Varian was returned home.

"No," Shaw said. "I don't know who they were beyond the fact that some of them were human, most of them rogues. The ones I came up against had military training, and I'm willing to bet some were even ex-SI: 7. I have Nightwind and Kearnen working on it. If I'm right, it would explain how they managed to pull this off."

"How did they get the bombs into the Shrine?" Anduin asked, his eyes burning with rage and grief.

"I don't know," Shaw admitted, and Braelyn could see it rankled his pride. "When I got to the Shrine, I ordered a sweep of the building. It came up clean. This means that the bombs were either planted sometime after that, or the agents I sent on the sweep were compromised in some way. Maybe they planted the bombs, maybe they were bribed or mindcontrolled into overlooking them. I don't know at this point. I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"This is not your fault, Shaw," Anduin replied. The spymaster didn't look like he agreed.

"What of the rest of the Council?" Ellysan asked. "Are they... ?"

"They survived," Shaw answered, "and I sent them back to their homes as a safety precaution. Although, they probably wouldn't have made it if the Horde hadn't shown up."

"What?" Braelyn asked.

"The Horde Council were also having a meeting," Shaw said, dragging a hand across his tired face. "When they heard the explosion, they came over to check it out. We thought they were part of the attack at first, hell they may even thought about it. Who knows? But once the other bastards showed up, they helped us fight them off."

"Where is my father now?" Anduin asked.

"Still at the Shrine, Your Highness," Shaw replied. "A portion of the building still stands. We are keeping our fallen there. The Horde removed the bodies of their people, and those of the attackers. Your father is there, awaiting his escort home."

"I will go to him," Braelyn said abruptly. "I will bring my husband home."

"No," Shaw said, firmly. "It's too risky. They could be waiting for something like... "

"I do not need your permission, Shaw!" Braelyn snapped. "I'm his wife! I couldn't keep him safe, but I can damn well see him home to his people."

"Pumpkin," her father said softly, "I don't... "

"Don't you dare take this away from me!" she interrupted with a scowl at her father, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "Don't you dare."

"The Queen should go," Dominic said suddenly. All eyes turned towards the steward. "She should. Someone from his family needs to be there, and it's far more likely that the assassins will be after Prince Anduin than the Queen."

Braelyn stared at the steward in shock, for the first time realising how much he cared about the king, and her and Anduin. She managed a brief look of gratitude for his support, and vowed that she would find a way to repay his kindness.

"He's right," Ellysan said with a sigh. "As much as I hate the thought, if anyone goes it should be Braelyn. Anduin... Anduin is the king now. He is much more valuable a target. Besides, he will be needed here. The people need to be told, and comforted."

_Oh, Anduin, my poor boy, _Braelyn thought miserably. _Your father never wanted this for you, not so soon._

"But I want to go too!" Anduin protested, "You can't keep me... "

"Anduin," Braelyn said, touching his shoulder. She looked him in the eye, and he seemed to wilt under her sorrowful gaze. "I am willing to risk my life, but I will _never _risk yours. You will stay here and guide the people. They will be devastated, and we also need to prepare the city in case whoever attacked the Shrine tries to do the same to Stormwind."

"But I'm afraid you won't come back," Anduin said, and it damn near broke her heart.

"I can't make any promises," Braelyn replied, a single tear falling down her cheek, "just as Varian wasn't able to. But know this; if I die, I will go down fighting, and I will take as many of those bastards with me. I will have our revenge."

"Then may the light be with you, mother," Anduin said, embracing her tightly.

"And may it keep you safe, my dear son," she replied, holding him tight, and praying that this precious young man would not be made to suffer any further.

* * *

><p>Braelyn had never been so angry in her entire life. If she'd had a weapon in her hand, people would have died. To have gone through that horrible moment in the throne room, to have seen the heartbreak on Anduin's face when he realised his father wasn't coming home, and have it be for nothing infuriated her.<p>

Varian was alive.

His injuries were severe, and death could still claim him, but he was still breathing. His hand, warm and unscarred, was held tightly in hers, and Braelyn was watching the steady rise and fall of his chest like a hawk.

"Did none of you think to send word to me that my husband was still alive?" she whispered, and her voice was like fire. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? What you did to Anduin?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness!" a young worgen priest said. "But we didn't have time, and everything was so chaotic. Poor Sampson thought he was imagining things when the king began breathing again." The priest pointed to a human paladin who was sitting in a corner looking shell-shocked.

"What the hell happened?" Braelyn demanded, smoothing Varian's hair away from his face. He felt colder than he should, and his skin was clammy.

"He _did _die," the priest, Bellamora, swore. "He wasn't breathing, his heart had stopped. Healing spells did nothing, resurrection failed. That's when we sent Shaw to inform you."

"And then?"

"Sampson went to clean him, so we could send him home to you. He was bathing the king when he noticing the king's arm twitching. Like I said, he thought he was imagining it, but then it happened again, and this time he heard the king gasp." Bellamora shook her head. "I don't know what caused this, but we want to send word to Darnassus when we can find a mage who isn't completely mana-dry to open a portal. Hopefully, somewhere in their long lives, the night elves will have come across something to explain what has gone on here."

"I have two mages with me," Braelyn said, waving a hand towards her mother and her friend, Chelinka, who had been keeping Braelyn company in the Keep when news of Varian's 'death' had come through. "We can send word about Varian to both Darnassus and Stormwind, and... "

"No," a new voice said.

Braelyn looked to where Fox had been stealthing in a corner. The rogue was now visible, a thoughtful look upon her face.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Braelyn demanded.

"It's too risky," the rogue replied calmly. "If we let the king's would-be assassins know that he's still alive, they'll come back to finish the job. This place is not defensible, and lacks the staff to defend it even it were. The king does not look well enough to move to a safer place. We need to get him back to full health before we spread the word. It's the only way to keep him safe."

"She's right, sweetie," Ellysan said. "As much as I hate to think of Anduin suffering any longer, we can't risk revealing the truth until the king is well."

"Uh, there's a problem," Bellamora said, and Braelyn snapped her head around to look at her. "The king is not responding well to our efforts to heal him. We need to find out what happened to him before we can formulate a treatment."

"Damn it," Braelyn swore. She then sighed. Like her mother, she hated the thought of Anduin and the others grieving over a lie, but she needed to keep Varian safe.

"All right," she said, "but we should at least let Shaw know. He can get some agents out here to protect the king, and quietly."

"I can do that," Fox said, and Braelyn nodded.

"Go with my mother, Fox. Mum, stay close to Anduin and Genn." As the two older women started to discuss the best way to go about their orders, Braelyn turned to Chelinka.

"Chelinka," she said, "I want you to go to Darnassus and talk to Tyrande Whisperwind. Tell her that you are acting under my authority, and let her know what has happened here. Ask her to send anyone she thinks that can be of any help, even if it's just extra healers to give Sampson and Bellamora a break."

"Of course, Braelyn!" the mage replied, an enthusiastic glimmer in her vivid green eyes.

"But, Chelinka... " Braelyn said warningly. "You must not tell anyone except Tyrande about what you've seen here today. I mean it."

"It's okay, girl," the mage reassured her. "I got this. I won't let you down!"

"Good. No go." Braelyn watched the other women leave, chewing on her lower lip anxiously. "Bellamora, how many people know that Varian is still alive?"

"Not many," the priest replied. "There's not a lot of people left in the Shrine now. Just a handful of Pandaren guards, and a few heroes who have stayed behind to help."

"All right," Braelyn said, a plan forming in her mind. "Sampson, do you think you can speak to the guards about keeping quiet?"

"Ye... yes, Your Majesty," the man replied shakily, but got to his feet. "I can do this," he added in a whisper to himself. "I can do this."

"We need to find out what happened to my husband," Braelyn said, turning her eyes to Varian. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. He sighed, and she knew that he was aware of her presence, which gave her comfort.

"Are any of the attackers' bodies here? Or their weapons?" she asked the priest.

"No, the Horde were kind enough to take them away, so we wouldn't be burdened with dealing with them. Why?"

"Because Varian's condition could be a result of a poison, and if it is, their weapons will tell us what that poison is," Braelyn explained. "Checking the bodies may also help identify who these bastards are."

"You want me to go check them out?" Learen asked from the shadows.

"NO!" Braelyn exclaimed. "I am not thanking the Horde for their courtesy today by letting you loose in their city on Stab the Orc day or whatever the hell day it is. Besides," she added, staring at where she thought the little rogue was hiding, "you're the only one here I trust to keep Varian and his healers safe."

"Then how are you going t... no," Learen said. He appeared at Braelyn's side, scowling up at her. "I let you go out there alone, Shaw will have me on permanent guard duty for the rest of my life."

"For once in your life, Learen," Braelyn growled, "you will shut the hell up and follow my orders. If you don't, it's going to be Gnome Pinata Day. I will not be alone, anyway; I'll rustle up a few of those heroes to some with me."

Learen glowered at her before disappearing again with a huff. "Fine, but if you die, don't come back from the afterlife and bitch to me, Your Royal Bully's Eye."

"If I come back from the dead, that's the last thing you'll have to worry about," Braelyn muttered.

"Are you sure you should do this?" Bellamora asked Braelyn as the queen began to stroke Varian's cheek.

"No, but we have to do something," Braelyn replied. "I will not stand by and watch my husband die for lack of information."

She studied Varian's face carefully. He looked as if he were merely sleeping, but the bandages covering his body spoke of many wounds. How had they managed to pierce all that plate?

"Rest well, Varian," she said, pressing several soft kisses to his lips. "I will be back shortly."

_I hope._

* * *

><p>The Shrine of Two Moons beckoned her, but Braelyn waited patiently about twenty metres away from the entrance. She was flanked by two warriors, a human and a draenei, while a disc priest hovered behind her. She was clad in the armor that Varian had bought for her, so there should be no doubt who she was.<p>

"Easy, Bitey," she crooned to the lynx who had wrapped around her ankles, growling softly.

Braelyn could feel eyes upon her, whether from the sentries manning the Shrine's walls, or from rogues stealthing near the stairs. She was unsettled; it was an odd feeling being so close to the 'enemy' without being engaged in combat.

"I do not like this, Your Majesty," the draenei said, stepping slightly in front of her and raising his shield. "It is too open, and they are keeping us waiting too long."

"I do not like it, either, Rannoch," Braelyn replied, "but there is too much at stake for me to give up now."

"As you wish, Majesty," the warrior replied, then stiffened as a figure came down the stairs and headed for them.

A lanky troll stopped a metre or two in front of them. He stared at Braelyn for a few moments before speaking. "Ya be a brave one ta come marching on ta Horde land like this, girly," he said, his orange eyes narrowing at her.

"That's no way to address the Queen!" Rannoch bristled, glaring at the troll. Braelyn held up a hand to stop the draenei mid-rant.

"It's all right," she said with a calmness she didn't feel. "I am Braelyn Wrynn. I would like to speak to whomever is in charge."

"And what ya wanna talk to Thrall 'bout?"

"The death of my husband," Braelyn replied, and her lower lip wobbled a bit. Just the thought of Varian dying for real made her... no, now was not the time.

The troll started slightly, and Braelyn realised that he must not have known about Varian 'dying'. It must have occurred after the Horde had departed.

"I'll let Thrall know," he said. "Ya just be waiting here."

Fifteen minutes later, the troll returned, and gestured for them to come forward. "Thrall be agreeing ta meet wit' ya. Follow me, but be keepin' ya hands where we can see 'em."

Braelyn walked up the stairs, shaking her head in disgust as she heard the priest muttering about uncivilised barbarians. When she got to the stop of the stairs, she was painfully aware of the people coming to a halt to stare at her.

_What would Varian do?_

She raised her head and stared back at them. She did not do so with arrogance or disrespect, but with confidence and strength of will. It was a look that said, 'I am the Queen of Stormwind, and I am not afraid.'

The eyes staring back at her were not angry or full of hate. They were solemn, as if this sombre silence was all the respect they could offer her and her fallen king.

"Your Highness," a deep voice rumbled, and Braelyn's attention was diverted to an enormous figure standing near a doorway. "I am Thrall, and I welcome you to the Shrine of Two Moons."

Braelyn didn't know what to say. Thrall was _huge._ She stared blankly at him for a moment before dropping into a curtsy.

"Please call me Braelyn," she said, "for I am no queen to you or your people. I am honoured to meet you, Thrall, though I wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"Yes," Thrall rumbled, and Braelyn could hear the surprise in his voice echoing the murmurs around them. Perhaps they did not expect such polite conduct from their enemy. "I was not aware of your husband's passing. My relationship with Lo'Gosh was troubled, but he fought with honour today, and died a warrior's death. May that be a comfort to you and your people."

"Thank you," she replied, "for both your words, and the bravery you and the heroes of the Horde showed today when you helped my husband in his hour of need. I will not forget such honour."

Thrall nodded, extending an arm for her to take. She allowed him to guide her into the Shrine. "How may I be of service?" he asked.

"I was hoping you would allow me to inspect the weapons and armour of the men who attacked our Shrine. Their bodies, too, if possible."

Thrall looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Is that something you should be doing?"

"If it means finding the ones responsible for killing my husband, then yes," Braelyn replied. She noticed the look Thrall was giving her, and smiled grimly. "This armor is not for show, Thrall. I am a hunter, and saw battle before marrying Varian."

It may have only been one battle, but it had left its mark on Braelyn's soul

Thrall gave soft laugh. "Even if I hadn't known who you were prior to becoming queen, I should have known that Lo'Gosh wouldn't have married a timid mouse. No, the Ghost Wolf found himself a lioness. Sylvanas still rants over the beating your heroes dished out in Duskwood."

"Good," was Braelyn's only reply.

The stench of death met her nostrils long before she entered the makeshift morgue. She was surprised that they hadn't already started burning the bodies, it was so bad. Memories of her disastrous foray into Warsong Gulch assaulted her brain, but she quashed them. She couldn't afford to wimp out now, and she did not want to show weakness in front of Thrall.

"Are you interested in anything in particular?"

"Anything that may identify who they were working for," Braelyn replied as she glanced over some armor. She noticed that there were no weapons around. They'd probably been scavenged as souvenirs. She looked more closely at the bodies, nothing catching her attention until she reached the body of a human woman her own age.

The woman's hands were resting on the slab, palms exposed to Braelyn's eyes. There was a distinctive mark on the right palm, a small, innocent looking tattoo that was anything but innocent.

With a cry, Braelyn began inspecting the hands of the all the humans in the morgue, ripping off gauntlets and sending them flying through the air. By the time she had finished, she was swearing up a storm.

"What have you found, Braelyn?" Thrall asked, intrigued, and amused, by the hunter queen's reaction.

"Do you see this mark?" she asked, raising one of the corpse's hands towards Thrall. He nodded.

"It looks like a tattoo of a cog."

"It is," Braelyn replied. "It's the symbol of the Defias Brotherhood."

Thrall rumbled in discontent. "Those common bandits have turned to political assassination?"

"They've always been after Varian's head," Braelyn said, thinking furiously. "But they've been so preoccupied with Westfall since the Cataclysm. I don't understand why they attacked him now. It's not as if this attack was opportunistic; it took planning."

"I wish I could help you in this matter," Thrall said, "but I am afraid all I can do is offer to have my people keep their ears and eyes open when travelling through neutral territory."

"Anduin and I would greatly appreciate that," Braelyn replied, though her attention was mainly devoted to the dead hand she was still gripping.

_The Defias attempted to kill Varian, _she thought. _But why now? And why do I have the feeling that this is more complicated than it seems?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>see, he's not dead, it's all good. You can put the knives down, now. Chelinka, you can stop sulking.

Next Chapter: Braelyn finds out why Varian refuses to heal, and learns that if action is not taken, he will die. A solution is found, but involves Braelyn undertaking a dangerous mission to the Isle of Thunder.


	16. I come from the Isle of Thunder

The streets of Stormwind were grey and sombre as Jack Devereaux exited the Keep. The death of Varian Wrynn had cast a pall over the city, and everywhere he looked, people were openly crying for their fallen hero. He had gone to the Keep, along with the rest of the house of nobles, to pay his respects to King Anduin, and offer condolences to the grieving widow.

Jack had been disappointed to find that it was his dear Braelyn who had been sent to retrieve Wrynn's body, but not entirely surprised. The whole city had seen how devoted she had become to King Varian, so it was only natural that she would want to escort his body home. She was brave, and stubborn enough to stand against the wishes of those who would have kept her in Stormwind.

He had to fight back the grin that threatened to spread across his face. Everything had worked out better than he had expected, or even hoped.

Joining forces with the Defias Brotherhood had been risky, but the payoff was worth it. The Defias had given him the money he needed to retain his nobility, and in return he gave them the king's head. All that time he'd spent with the young queen had given him access to all the information he needed.

The best part was that the Defias didn't even realise that their money wasn't his ultimate goal.

Braelyn was.

With the king dead, Braelyn was vulnerable to his blackmail once more, and, this time, he had an even tighter hold on her. It would be so easy to suggest that her affair with the Grand Magister of Silvermoon had never ended, and that her husband's death was the result of a Sin'dorei plot. A plot that she had willingly participated in.

Braelyn would have to choose either a traitor's death and the ruin of her family and friends, or marriage to him.

Jack knew his hunter well; she would never endanger her family or friends willingly, so she would choose him.

They would have to wait a few years for a respectable mourning period to pass, but Braelyn was young, and he was younger than Wrynn had been when he died. Jack had the time to wait, and when they were finally husband and wife, he would have access to Braelyn's fortune as the dowager queen, as well as the power that came with it.

_I never lose, dear Braelyn, _Jack thought as he savoured his victory. _It's time you learnt that._

* * *

><p>By the time Braelyn returned to the Shrine of Seven Stars, Fox had returned with Mathias Shaw. The spymaster was not happy to hear about Braelyn's jaunt to the Shrine of Two Moons, and wasted no time in launching a long-winded rant about her ignoring her own safety and her responsibilities to the people of Stormwind. It began with the clichéd 'what were you thinking?' and ended with a robust 'that's what rogues are for!'.<p>

Braelyn told him to shut the hell up and respect her authority. He was wasting valuable research time.

"My husband was attacked by the Defias," she told Shaw, describing what she'd found during her absence.

"The Defias?" Shaw didn't sound surprised exactly, but he seemed unsettled nonetheless. "What drove them into an attack on Varian now?"

"I was hoping you might be able to tell me," Braelyn said dryly. "You're the spymaster."

"I'll have Nightwind and Kearnen start investigating," Shaw said, ignoring the queen's tone. "The night elves sent some people back with Chelinka, I suggest you and I go and see what they can tell us about the King's condition."

Before meeting the new night elf arrivals, Braelyn went to check up on Varian. Bellamora and Sampson were resting on a couple of makeshift beds tucked into a corner, while her husband was being tended to by the biggest night elf she had ever seen. He was taller than most night elves she had seen, with purple skin and green hair, and a physique that could only be described as 'intimidating'.

_Are those antlers?_

"Is Varian showing any improvement?" Braelyn asked quietly, not wanting to startle the stranger.

The night elf looked up, his amber eyes marking him as a druid. He had a strength and warmth about him that put Braelyn at ease immediately. "His breathing has become less laboured," he said, "but I am afraid there has been no other change."

Braelyn reached a hand out to caress Varian's face, her fingers tracing his scar. She wished he would open his eyes so he could see that she was with him.

"You must Queen Braelyn," the druid said, and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "I am Broll Bearmantle. Varian and I are old friends. I was most disappointed to miss your wedding."

Braelyn's eyes widened in shock. _This _was Broll Bearmantle? She felt relief surge through her. She had heard about this man and his abilities. To know that he was here with Varian gave her great comfort.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Broll," Braelyn said with a curtsy. "I am glad that you're here. It makes it easier, knowing that Varian has friendly faces to help care for him."

"You are here, and I suspect he'd appreciate your company more than mine," Broll said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"And I would never leave his side," Braelyn swore, "but for the fact that the cowards who attacked him need dealing with, and a cure for his condition found."

Broll's smile deepened. He was pleased to find that his friend's bride was so strong and devoted. She would need that strength, and Varian, her devotion.

"Do you know what is happening to Varian, and why he won't heal?" Braelyn asked. "The healers here said they've never seen anything like it before."

"Yes, I am familiar with this ailment," Broll said, his face darkening in a scowl. "It is the result of a foul act, one that, thankfully, can not be perpetrated very often due to the rarity of the resources needed."

The druid shifted his position so that he could look down at Braelyn. "Have you ever heard of Widow's Veil?" he asked.

"Yes." Braelyn nodded. "It's a poison. It prohibits the body's ability to respond to magical healing."

"Indeed," Broll replied, "and it is this poison we are seeing in action now."

"Are you sure?" Braelyn asked with surprise.

"Yes, I found traces of the poison around his wounds."

"But to cause this reaction they would have needed access to a huge amount of rare and expensive reagents!" Braelyn exclaimed. "It's so rare in itself, I've never even seen it. How on earth did the Defias manage it?"

"I do not know," Broll said, "and it concerns me. To think of such a weapon in the hands of such creatures... "

"Is there a cure?" Braelyn demanded.

"Yes," Broll said, but his tone indicated that it wasn't going to be easy.

"But?" Braelyn prompted. She hated to be so pushy, but Varian's life was at stake.

"Widow's Veil is a rare poison with an even rarer antidote," the druid replied slowly. He looked at the young queen and grieved he could not ease her burden. "Tyrande sent along some of her people to discuss this with you. They are in the next room, let me show you."

"It's all right, Broll," Braelyn replied, laying a hand on the night elf's arm. "I'd prefer it if you stayed with Varian. I can find the way on my own." She bent down and gave Varian a kiss, nuzzling his hair. "Hold on, darling. I'll find a way to bring you back to me."

"As you wish," Broll said, watching her as she left the room with a last, loving glance at his friend. He looked down at the unconscious Varian and smiled wistfully. "You're a lucky man, my friend. I hope you realise that."

* * *

><p>Braelyn walked in to the room to find a group of night elves and humans gathered around a large book and arguing loudly. A lone pandaren woman stood to one side, not getting a look in. They all seemed to be either priests or druids. These must be the extra healers she asked for.<p>

"How the hell are we going to find this thing if no one can distinguish this herb from a blade of ordinary grass?" a human man asked in frustration, glaring at the night elf next to him.

"Or even know where to look for it?" A female night elf added glumly. "I'm a centuries old herbalist, and I have never seen this before. I feel like a failure."

"Perhaps I can help?" Braelyn asked. "I trained as a herbalist." She watched in amusement as the humans of the group scurried to bow to her.

"Of course, Your Majesty!" the man said, bringing the book over to her. He pointed to the page the were discussing so earnestly. "This is the herb we need. It's called Bride's Mantle, and is said to nullify the effects of Widow's Veil. Only problem is, no one knows where it grows or can distinguish it from grass."

Braelyn looked down at the book, studying the diagram in detail, and with some confusion. Yes, the herb did look a lot like a clump of grass, but it was not identical. She could see that the herb's colouring was slightly darker than grass, with a subtle gradient. The individual blades were a little wider as well.

"I can tell the difference," she said, looking up at the others. "The colour is different, and the leaves wider." She pointed out the plant's distinguishing features, but the others still stared at the picture blankly.

Braelyn looked over to the pandaren. "Excuse me, miss? Do you want to take a look?"

"Certainly," the pandaren replied with a respectful bow. "My name is Hualing, Your Highness. My family have been herbalists for many generations." Hualing took the book in her paws and stared down at the open page.*

"Oh, I know this plant!" she exclaimed happily. "We call it Lying Grass. It is used in antidotes and some healing potions."

There was an outbreak of disbelieving mutters at the pandaren's words.

"Do either of you know where to find it?" Mathias Shaw said, pushing himself off the wall he'd been stealthing against.

Braelyn chewed her bottom lip as she thought. "The only place I ever saw it growing was just outside Menethil Harbour, and that area was hammered by the Cataclysm," she said. "It's rarer than Widow's Veil, and has a short life-span. Once you pick it, you have about twenty-four to thirty-six hours to use it before it loses its efficacy."

"In Pandaria, it grows only on the Isle of Thunder," Hualing said, frowning. "Because of this, my people only use it if they have no other options. Picking it is just too dangerous."

"Well, that's just great," the male priest from earlier said, kicking a chair. "Now what?"

"Simple," Braelyn said, "Hualing and I go the Isle of Thunder and find as much of the herb as we can, then bring it back here for Broll to use."

"Absolutely not," Shaw declared. He glared at Braelyn like she was an idiot.

"Shaw, as much as you like to think otherwise," Braelyn said firmly, "you are not in charge here, and you are not my boss. Just the opposite."

"Your Majesty, that Island is rife with both Mogu and the Horde, not to mention those hideous lizard-men," Shaw protested. "The Alliance has barely maintained a foothold, let alone any land for you to go frolicking through."

"I can go," Hualing offered. Braelyn and Shaw ceased their bickering to look at her in surprise. "Just give me a Horde tabard, and I can use it to look for the herb under the guise of doing quests for the Sunreavers. They'll just think me one of the Huojin."

"Are you sure?" Braelyn asked. Hualing nodded.

"I've never been before, but I am confident of finding my way."

"Then that's settled," Shaw said, clapping his hands. "Hualing will go find the herb, and you can stay here with the king."

"No, Shaw," Braelyn said stubbornly, glaring at the spymaster. "We do not have time to rely on just one person, and it is not fair to ask Hualing to take such a risk on her own. Get her a tabard, and she can go to the Horde controlled parts of the island. I will go to what ever territory remains to us after Jaina's folly."

Shaw opened his mouth to protest, but Braelyn cut him off by calling for Bitey. The lynx latched onto the rogue's ankles, really sinking his teeth in.

"Ouch! Light damn you, you... you... hunter!" Shaw said as he tried to free himself from Bitey's grip. "Fine! Go then! But you're taking Learen and Fox with you, and you are not wearing that armor. Too distinctive."

"It's a deal," Braelyn said. "Come, Hualing, let's find some gear."

* * *

><p>The Isle of Thunder was a dismal place. Gloomy and oppressive with a miasma that seemed to permeate everything. It was also dank, the result, no doubt, of the constant rain that fell in either a deluge, or a fine mist.<p>

Braelyn sighed wearily as she skirted around a small band of saurok scouts. She was exhausted, and stressed to the point of illness, after the long flight to the island. Not to mention having to deal with Lady Proudmoore.

She had once admired Jaina as a voice of reason and peace, but that admiration died after the Purge of Dalaran and her stay in Silvermoon, where she'd learned the truth about the theft of the Divine Bell. While she could understand why Jaina changed, she could not tolerate the consequences.

Jaina Proudmoore had wanted to send people out with Braelyn to help with her search, but the queen felt this would only act as a hindrance. The Kirin Tor leader had not reacted well to the rejection, but Braelyn did not care. Jaina's recent actions had not only made the search for the Bride's Mantle more difficult, but they were also indirectly responsible for Varian's current condition.

Braelyn had no qualms about telling Lady Proudmoore that, either.

"Your Highness!" Fox whispered. "I see a patch of grass over here."

Braelyn turned towards the SI: 7's voice and saw a small patch of green sloping down towards a small stream. It was awfully close to some Mogu-infested ruins, but if she were careful, she should be okay. She trusted Learen and Fox to keep her safe.

She moved quickly, making sure to keep Bitey close to her. Her face lit up as she spotted a few Bride's Mantles hidden among the grass. "I've found some!" she said quietly. "Not as much as I think Broll needs, but it's a start."

Braelyn got out her small herbalist's spade and dug the herbs out with great care before nestling them in her bag. They were hardy little plants, but she didn't want to risk damaging them. Not with Varian's life at risk.

She crossed the stream in the hope that more would be growing nearby. She saw another patch of green in the distance, but the path was blocked by a fallen statue. She tried to climb over it, but only got far enough to see that more Bride's Mantle lay ahead.

"We need to get around this," she whispered. "There's more herbs ahead."

"That would mean going through the ruins," Fox pointed out. "You want to deal with the Mogu?"

"Are you out of your stupid hunter's mind?" Learen snapped. "You may as well just let me stab you here. It'll be less painful than whatever those genocidal maniacs will do to ya."

Braelyn couldn't tell where her bodyguards were, but she took a guess and glared at them. "I am going. If you want to stay here you can, but if you want to uphold your sworn duty to my husband and our kingdom, then be quiet and follow me."

She tightened her herbalist's bag around her waist, and headed for the stairs leading up to the ruins, camouflaging herself and Bitey as she did so. The ruins were set atop a hill, and the stairs were quite steep, meaning she couldn't see any of the Mogu until she reached the top.

She had no idea if Learen was following, but she was pretty sure that Fox was. That woman took her duty to Stormwind very seriously.

The ruins were huge, and the most direct path to the Bride's Mantle was, of course, blocked. To add to their troubles, a thunderstorm rolled in, the sky darkening in dramatic fashion. The lightning serving as their main source of illumination. The thunder was spooking Bitey, who was looking like he wanted to bolt.

Progress was slow, but Braelyn believed that they would make it... right up until one of the stone statues came to life behind her. Bitey growled, long and low, then threw himself upon it, breaking Braelyn's camouflage.

"Your Majesty, look out!" Fox called, and Braelyn spun around to see several Mogu and their quillens rushing towards them. She saw the rogue dash forward and then disappear. A minute later and the quillen were dead, the Mogu roaring furiously.

Braelyn readied her bow, and took out the statue with an arcane shot. She turned back to see that Fox and Learen had taken care of the Mogu, but more of the monsters were rapidly approaching.

"Learen, get the queen out of here!" Fox yelled before vanishing again. "And don't you dare lose her!"

"Move it, Lady Bully's Eye!" Learen snarled, pushing on Braelyn's legs. She protested, knowing that she could help the rogues fight the mogu off. But Learen kept pushing, and he was aided by Bitey, who grabbed the edge of Braelyn's tabard and started to pull her along.

"What about Fox?" Braelyn yelled. "We can't just leave her!"

"We have to!" Learen replied. "You are more important. She knows that, knows she's expendable! Don't disrespect her by making her sacrifice be for nothing."

With a frustrated cry, Braelyn followed after the gnome. She could hear the sound of fighting behind her, as well as the thundering roar of the Mogu chasing after her and Learen. She didn't want to leave Fox behind, the female rogue was the only one of her SI: 7 guards that she liked.

For a minute, Braelyn was sure that she and Learen were going to make it out of the ruins safely. But then, in a period of prolonged darkness, they got turned off course. When the lightning started flashing again, they found themselves on the wrong side of the ruins, teetering on the edge of a steep slope.

"Damn it!" Braelyn and Learen swore in unison.

"You will make fine slaves!" boomed one of the mogu as they surrounded Braelyn and her guard.

"I doubt that!" Learen snarled, moving in front of her. "Be ready to roll and run," he added under his breath.

"What are you talking about, you crazy-arsed gnome?" Braelyn demanded, then screamed as, during a moment of complete darkness, Learen spun around and pushed her over the edge.

She landed on her back, not as heavily as she'd feared, and then began to slide down the rough, rock-strewn surface, clinging to her bow. It began to rain, a torrential downpour that drowned out the sound of the Mogus' battle cries.

"Learen!" Braelyn screamed. "Learen!"

There was no response.

* * *

><p>*Hualing is Chinese for 'Flourishing fu-ling' (a type of herb). I thought it was appropriate.<p>

**AN - **you know, I never intended Jack to be so villainous in this story. In my mind, Jack is as he was in Shadows; a jerk, but a loveable jerk. He was only meant to be in this story until his engagement was ruined. Somehow that all changed and I turned him into a right royal bastard. And trust me, he keeps getting worse.

Next Chapter: Braelyn tries to go unnoticed on the Isle of Thunder, but with the Horde and Mogu everywhere, it proves difficult. She runs into some old friends, and a series of revelations will force her to re-evaluate what she wants most in life.


	17. The Warchief and the Queen

It was a long and painful night for Braelyn. Separated from her bodyguards and lost in the darkness of the storm, all she could do was stumble around and pray that she didn't run into an enemy. She couldn't even risk whistling for Bitey, not when she didn't know what was lurking in the shadows.

Eventually, she managed to find a small cave. It must have been used as a camp site or hideout by the Saurok or the Sunreavers as it contained a welcome supply of firewood, a few ration packs, canteens of fresh water, and a couple of bedrolls in reasonable condition.

Braelyn got a fire going, hoping that she wouldn't be smoked out or that the light attract attention. After debating the issue in her head, she stripped off the leather armor Fox had procured for her and set it out to dry. No use being armored if you were too ill too fight in it.

She was too ill to eat, so she put some water on to boil, and fished some of her emergency teabags out of the small bag she'd attached to her belt. A cup of tea was exactly what she needed.

While she waited for the water to boil, Braelyn set a couple of explosive traps by the cave's entrance. She'd modified it so that instead of just exploding and causing a lot of damage, the traps created a burst of energy that threw people backwards. If she managed to get any sleep, the noise would wake her, and the throwback would give her time to at least arm herself.

Braelyn snuggled down in one of the bedrolls to drink her tea, sparing the time to pray for Fox and Learen's survival. They were born survivors, especially Learen, but it was so wretched outside. She hoped they had at least found shelter, and that Bitey had remained with them.

After the fire died down a little, Braelyn pulled her weapons close, and attempted to sleep. The wind was howling outside, almost as loud as the thunder and lightning. The rain, however, eased off, something that comforted her. It would hopefully make the night easier to get through for her missing guards, and enable her to continue her hunt in the morning.

Braelyn didn't think she'd sleep, but it was not long before exhaustion pulled her under. Her dreams that night were all about Varian, and when she woke in the morning, she swore she could feel his arms around her.

* * *

><p>Vol'jin sat atop his raptor as the last of the storm clouds dissipated over the Isle of Thunder. He hated this place. It still stunk of the Zandalari, even though they'd been cleared off the island over a year ago. But, as Warchief of the Horde, he felt that the Sunreavers deserved a visit to congratulate them for their efforts in claiming the island for the Horde.<p>

He doubted the Alliance would be able to recover their losses.

The raptor threw its head back and pranced sideways, tired of being still for so long. "Easy, boy," Vol'jin said, patting the animal on the neck. "We be going soon enough."

His mount may have been eager to get moving, but the Warchief wasn't. He had much to think about, and it was rare that he got so much time alone to do it in. Thrall had sent word to him about the human king's death, and the visit by his brave young widow. This event changed things; for better or worse, Vol'jin had yet to decide.

The Horde respected Varian Wrynn as a fighter and leader of men, but to many among its ranks, he represented all that they hated about the Alliance. This made it hard to establish a workable peace.

Anduin Wrynn, on the other hand... Baine Bloodhoof wasn't the only Horde leader to think kindly of the young human.

When his mount tossed its head impatiently, Vol'jin decided it was time to head back to Dawnseeker Promontory. He turned the raptor around and headed down a small path that led into a swampy area marred by rubble and fallen trees. He stopped when a flash of colour caught his eye.

His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed a lone human woman digging around the base of one of the fallen trees. Vol'jin assumed she was digging for herbs, but when he moved closer, he could see that she was stuffing _grass_ into a small backpack.

Even by human standards the woman was small; average height, and slender as a blood elf. She was wearing leather armor and an Alliance tabard, with two daggers strapped to her hips. Vol'jin assumed she was a rogue... until he saw the bow propped up against the tree, a magnificent weapon of dark wood, gold trimming, and glowing blue enchantments.

He glanced around him, but could see no animals in the vicinity, and no other Alliance members.

"Little hunter, what ya be doin' out here on ya own?" Vol'jin murmured as he observed the young woman getting to her feet and brushing the dirt off her knees. She looked around her, as if she were searching for something, or someone. He tensed, expecting the worst, but relaxed as he saw the woman's shoulders slump in disappointment.

_So, she'd not been alone._

The woman slung her bow on her back, and Vol'jin knew it was time to act. He would not allow her to return to Violet Rise with whatever she'd been gathering, or meet up with any reinforcements. This was Horde territory now, and he would defend it.

He urged his mount forward, as quietly as possible, smirking when the tensing of the woman's shoulders gave away her knowledge of his presence. The smirk fell when the human turned around and he saw the look on her face. It wasn't anger, or hatred. It wasn't even fear.

It was quiet desperation.

* * *

><p>Braelyn was very pleased with herself. After the skies cleared, she'd managed to find a whole patch of Bride's Mantle a few minute's walk away from the cave. By the time noon rolled around, her backpack was full, and she could head back to Violet Rise and arrange help for Learen and Fox before returning to the Shrine.<p>

A few hours from now and Varian would be awake, with Braelyn wrapped up in his arms.

Braelyn stood up, brushed herself off, and slung her bow over her head. She looked around the swamp with narrowed eyes, hoping that Bitey, at least, had found his way to her. She sighed in disappointment when she realised no one was there.

She was about to turn around when she heard the sound of something moving behind her. It was soft, careful and deliberate, like an animal stalking its prey, but the prickling sensation crawling down her neck reminded her of being stared at by an unseen enemy.

_No, _she thought, _not now! Not when I'm so close to saving Varian!_

Braelyn turned around, her hands raised chest-high in a placating gesture. Her breath stopped for a second when she saw who was watching her.

Warchief Vol'jin.

Of all the Horde to run into, it had to be the man in charge.

Braelyn desperately tried to think of a way out of her predicament. She had no idea how she'd fare in a fight with the troll, but his mount was the main concern. It could easily double as a pet, attacking her, or cutting off her escape.

"It seems that da Isle o' Thunder be doing somethin' strange to da minds of da Alliance," Vol'jin said, staring at her. "First Jaina Proudmoore be sendin' her people on suicide missions, and now dey be wanderin' around Horde land on their own."

Braelyn relaxed slightly as she realised that Vol'jin didn't know who she was, and didn't seem like he was going to her attack her outright. Perhaps she could reason with him.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, Warchief Vol'jin," she said, curtsying. The troll looked surprised by her actions. "I merely came to collect some... "

"Grass?" he asked, lips curling up in a smirk. Braelyn cursed as she realised how long the troll must have been watching her. She clutched the bag to her chest.

"It's not grass exactly," she said, "but it's something that I need."

"For what?" Vol'jin asked.

"To save a life," Braelyn replied, eyes darting left and right, checking out the terrain.

"I'm interested in hearing how grass be savin' lives now, hunter," the Warchief said, amusement shining in his eyes. "Dat would be a most helpful revelation."

"I don't have the time!" Braelyn said impatiently. She had to get home to Varian. Nothing else mattered, not even her safety. She had to act.

Realising that if she turned to run she'd be caught quickly, Braelyn charged forward. She let out a loud scream, startling Vol'jin's mount and causing it to rear. While the troll was trying to get the raptor calmed down, she kept running.

But there was nowhere to hide, and she couldn't afford to stop and check her map to see in which direction she needed to run. She fought down a wave of panic as she heard Vol'jin coming up behind her. She attempted to zigzag in an effort to confuse him or his mount, but it didn't work. He overtook her, and although she dug in her heels, Braelyn found herself flying face first into the raptor's side.

Braelyn tried to back up, but she was dazed and winded, and it was easy for Vol'jin to reach down and grab her by the hair. She shrieked in pain as he hauled her onto his mount. She struggled as best she was able, hampered in her movement by being off the ground. She also had to avoid being impaled on the Warchief's long tusks as she flailed around.

"Stubborn wench!" Vol'jin cursed as Braelyn almost unseated him with an elbow to the stomach. "Can't ya see ya ain't got anywhere to go, woman?"

"I can't let you take me! I have to get back to the Shrine!" Braelyn yelled, dragging the back of her hand across the Warchief's face. She heard him gasp in pain, and he grabbed her hand to see what had cut him.

His hand tightened around hers painfully, bringing her struggle to an abrupt end. He stared down at her.

"Now, dese be some pretty baubles," he said, eyes narrowing as he gazed at her fingers.

_Oh, gods! My rings! I forgot to take off my rings!_

While Braelyn knew that her jewelry wouldn't give her away as the queen, she _did _know that they marked her as an aristocrat. Someone well worth holding to ransom.

"Please!" Braelyn begged. "Please, just let me go. I haven't done anything to deserve this."

"Besides trespass on our territory, ya mean," Vol'jin replied. His tone of voice indicated that there would be no reprieve for Braelyn. She let out a frustrated moan. She could feel Varian slipping away from her.

"No!" Braelyn yelled, kicking her legs against the raptor's flanks. The beast screeched, but did not rear or attempt to dislodge its riders.

Vol'jin readjusted his grip around Braelyn, holding her firmer against him, and trapping her arms against her sides.

"Please, you mustn't do this!" she pleaded to no avail.

"But I am," the Warchief said. "Best be calming yaself, girl. I'm sure we can be arrangin' to send ya home... for a price."

Braelyn screamed all the way back to the Horde camp.

* * *

><p>Braelyn's anxiety went into overdrive the moment they arrived at Dawnseeker Promontory. As it was home to the Sunreaver Onslaught, she was bound to run into someone she'd met in Silvermoon, most likely Aethas Sunreaver himself. The last thing she needed was for the Warchief to discover that his aristocratic hostage was actually the Queen of Stormwind.<p>

She wanted to run as soon as Vol'jin put her down, but she'd exhausted herself by her earlier attempts to escape. Braelyn barely had the energy to stand, let alone fight, so she settled for glaring at everyone in sight.

A few of the blood elves were studying her intently. Braelyn didn't recognise any of them, but that didn't mean that they hadn't seen her while she'd been living in Silvermoon. She turned away from them, hoping their interest would fade.

When Vol'jin started to remove her daggers and her bow, Braelyn began yelling and tried to move away. She wouldn't let him take the bow. It had been a gift from Varian, too precious to let the Horde have.

"Don't you dare touch my bow!" she shrieked, punching Vol'jin in the eye. This caused his bodyguards to react angrily, reaching for the bow and ripping it over her head. "No!" She tried to grab it again but Vol'jin pulled her away.

"It's just a bow," he said. "I'm sure ya husband can buy ya another."

At the mention of Varian, Braelyn burst into tears, all her pent-up fear and anxiety spilling out of her. "No, he can't," she wailed, "he can't."

All the drama had attracted the attention of a group of men standing near a tent across the large open square Vol'jin had brought Braelyn to. They walked over to find Braelyn once again struggling to free herself from the Warchief's grasp.

"Braelyn?" Halduron Brightwing asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Braelyn almost passed out when she saw Halduron, Aethas Sunreaver, and Lor'themar Theron standing in front of her wearing identical expressions of shock. Her eyes went wide, seeking out the fourth man who had to be nearby.

She began to shake, unwilling to deal with the idea of being in the same place as Rommath.

"He is not here, Braelyn," Aethas said. "Not yet, at any rate. Calm yourself."

"Ya know this girl?" Vol'jin asked, glad that his hostage had stopped fighting him.

Seeing Lor'themar start to speak, Braelyn interrupted him, desperate to keep her real identity to herself. They couldn't know who she really was. Surely Lor'themar would understand?

"Lor'themar, please don't!" she cried. With a sad look in his eye, the Regent Lord shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Braelyn, but I cannot help you now," Lor'themar said. He turned to Vol'jin. "This is Braelyn Wrynn, Warchief, and I must insist you show her the respect due to someone of her rank."

"You're the Queen of Stormwind?" Vol'jin asked, staring down at her with shock. Braelyn nodded her head. "What the hell ya be doing out here on ya own?" he demanded, but she couldn't answer. Speech was beyond her now. She raised pleading eyes to Aethas, her mother's dear friend, silently asking him to aid her.

"Warchief," Aethas said, "this woman has recently lost her husband. Surely we can treat her with some mercy?"

Braelyn let a small sigh, the only way she could acknowledge Aethas' small kindness. Part of her wanted to tell them the truth about Varian, to trust to their better natures. She knew that the Horde weren't all monsters, believing, as Anduin did, that they were inherently good and honourable.

But she kept silent, afraid that she was wrong. What if they held her indefinitely? What if they deliberately kept her here so that Varian would die?

"Very well," Vol'jin replied, letting Braelyn go. She immediately went to Aethas, who wrapped her in a friendly embrace. "Take her someplace an' keep her safe. I'll send word ta Thrall, have him talk ta someone at da Alliance shrine. I'm willin' ta come ta an arrangement."

The Warchief's eyes narrowed as he gazed at her. "Ya fight like a lioness, girl," he said. "I'm sorry ya lost ya husband. Da high king was a brave man."

Braelyn nodded her head, allowing Aethas to lead her away. He guided her to a large tent as Halduron and Lor'themar remained to discuss things with the Warchief.

"Braelyn, what are you doing here?" the archmage asked as he settled her on a large couch. Braelyn looked at him and knew that if she could trust anyone here to help her, it was Aethas.

"It's about Varian," she whispered, beckoning the blood elf closer. "Aethas, my husband isn't dead."

"What?" Aethas asked. "But Thrall said that you... "

"I had to keep it secret. Varian is still very ill, poisoned by a large dose of Widow's Veil," she explained, pausing when Aethas grimaced at the mention of the deadly toxin. "The Shrine was still in disarray, and we feared that the assassins would return to finish the job if they learned that my husband still lives."

"Then why are you here?"

"This was the only place we knew the antidote grew."

"Bride's Mantle grows here?" Aethas asked. Braelyn nodded.

"I managed to collect a bag full before running into the Warchief," Braelyn said. "Aethas, I don't care how long they keep me here, but that bag _must_ get to the Shrine of Seven Stars immediately. Varian is running out of time. Please, you must help me, for pity's sake, if not for our friendship's."

Aethas ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking a hundred years old. He sighed. "Very well. I will help you, though I don't know how."

"I have an idea," Braelyn said, squeezing the mage's hand in gratitude. "Have you perchance met a young pandaren woman by the name of Hualing?"

"Why, yes actually," Aethas said. "I was speaking to her earlier about rare alchemy ingr... " Aethas paused, then looked at Braelyn with an exasperated sigh. "She's not really Huojin, is she?"

"No," Braelyn confirmed, "she's Alliance. Aethas, if you get her that bag, she can get it to where it needs to be."

"I'll see to it now, though it might take a while to do so without gaining unwanted attention," Aethas said. "You're still as headstrong as ever," he added with a shake of his head.

"Of course," Braelyn said. "I may have gotten married, Aethas, but I'm still a Hawke!"

Aethas' smile dropped. "Speaking of your marriage, Braelyn... Rommath will be here shortly. When he finds out you're here, he will want to speak to you. You'd better prepare yourself."

Braelyn tensed up, but managed a tight smile for her friend. "Thanks for the warning, Aethas."

The Archmage nodded as he stood up. "Rest well, Braelyn, and I will send Lorelai in to see you. She has been anxious to see you again, especially since we heard of your wedding."

Braelyn smiled. She had missed Lorelai like crazy since returning to Goldshire. The blood elf priest had been a good friend during her stay in Silvermoon. "I look forward to seeing her."

She didn't have to wait long. Barely five minutes passed since Aethas' departure and then the tent flap was thrown back with great force, a blonde blood elf woman running in.

"Braelyn!" Lorelai cried, pulling her into a warm hug. "By the Light, what has happened to you?"

"It's a long story, my dear friend," Braelyn said, tears gathering in her eyes as she remembered just how kind this woman had been to her. "And I don't know if I have the strength to tell it right now."

"Then say nothing," Lorelai replied, "and let me take care of you." She raised her hand and began casting a few gentle healing spells over her friend.

Braelyn began to feel better as she felt the magic flowing through her, though she was somewhat unsettled by Lorelai's sharp gasp, and the repetition of one spell.

"Lorelai, what's wrong?" she asked, gazing at the priest, who was suddenly looking very flustered.

"Uh, Braelyn, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to blurt it out, all right?" Lorelai said, before taking a deep breath. "You're pregnant."

"Say what now?" Braelyn asked, shock rendering her almost speechless.

"You're pregnant," Lorelai repeated, smiling softly at her friend's reaction. "You're only in the early stages, but I definitely felt the life growing within you."

"Really?" Braelyn said, but she didn't wait for confirmation. A smile burst across her face like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. "Oh, Lorelai!" She stood up and hugged her friend tightly. "You don't know how happy this makes me!"

"I am glad for you," Lorelai replied, "but I need to go get you some potions. All this stress and activity is not good for you or the baby. Wait here."

Braelyn hardly noticed Lorelai leave, too wrapped up with thoughts of impending motherhood. She stood up and began pacing, her hand rubbing her stomach. She wondered how Varian would react to the news. Would he want a little boy or a girl?

The news would be the best 'get well' present she could give him, and, now that she knew that he _would _recover, she felt free to indulge in idle daydreams.

Lorelai returned, but the priest looked oddly unsettled. She pressed a small purple vial into Braelyn's hand. "You need to drink this now," she said. "You have a visitor, and you need to keep calm."

"All right," Braelyn said, with a smile. She could deal with the Warchief now that she knew everything was working out the way she'd hoped. She drank the potion down and handed the vial back to Lorelai. The priest smiled and hugged her briefly.

"I will be back later," she said, and then left Braelyn to resume her pacing.

Braelyn was lost in her thoughts when she heard the tent flap being opened again. "Warchief," she said turning around, "I want to..."

Her words died on her lips when she saw that her visitor was _not _Warchief Vol'jin. She closed her eyes, praying that she was simply hallucinating as a result of her long and exhausting week. When she opened her eyes, however, her visitor remained unchanged.

"Rommath... "

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>dun dun dun.

Next Chapter: Braelyn is forced to confront her past, when all she wants to do is plan her future.


	18. The Grand Magister

Nothing about Rommath had changed. His blue-black hair was still pulled back in a ponytail, and he still wore his robes of red and gold. Bright green eyes stared at her, the only part of his face not covered by his helm.

For a long time, he and Braelyn just stared at each other. Rommath had crossed his arms over his chest, the only thing enabling Braelyn to see that he was as anxious about this reunion as she was. She tried to think of something to say, but the words got lost on their way to her mouth.

"Braelyn," Rommath began, but that one word was too much for her to handle. She turned her back on him, unable to deal with his reappearance in her life on top of everything else.

"I can't do this, Rommath," she whispered. "Just go, please."

"Still trying to run away from me?" he said, and she jumped when he put his hands on her shoulders. It was such a familiar gesture, reminding her of all the nights they'd spent in the library wrapped up in each other, reconciling after an argument.

She had loved him so much, thought that there was no other man in the world besides him.

Rommath's arms slid down her arms and around her waist, one hand stopping to touch her wedding and engagement rings. "How did this happen?" he asked. "I remember you saying that your parents were Alliance heroes. Did they marry you off to him?"

"In a manner of speaking," Braelyn said stiffly, not willing to discuss what had happened with Jack. She was angry with Rommath, but not enough to reveal how their relationship had led her to Varian.

Rommath tightened his grip and turned her around to look at him. "Did you try to run away from _him_?" he demanded, and Braelyn could hear the jealousy in his voice. It angered her. What right did he have to be jealous?

"Several times," Braelyn bit out, "but the king is a difficult man to outrun."

Rommath glared down at her. "You said that you loved me."

"I did love you!" Braelyn retorted. "I waited for you for so long, Rommath, but you never came. And you never waited for me!"

"What do you mean I never waited?" Rommath asked. "I've been waiting every day since you left for a time safe enough to bring you home."

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Braelyn shouted. She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand in his own. He placed a soft kiss upon her palm. "No! Don't act like you still care about me when you barely waited a year before marrying that bitch!"

Rommath stared down at her, an elegant eyebrow lifting in surprise. "I wasn't aware that I'd gotten married," he said calmly. "May I ask who my wife is?"

"What is wrong with you?" Braelyn demanded. "I heard about you and Denaria, Rommath! News travels, even to Goldshire."

"You think I'd marry that woman after what she did to you? To us?" Rommath said, anger colouring his tone. "I haven't seen Denaria since the day she fed me that potion."

"Why are you lying to me?" Braelyn asked. Rommath's behaviour was beyond her comprehension. He'd never been one to engage in deceit before.

"Braelyn, I am _not _lying!" Rommath said. "I swear to you on the lives of my people, I am not married, least of all to Denaria. If you will not accept my word, then ask Lorelai or Aethas. They will not lie to you."

For a moment, Braelyn clung to her disbelief, stubbornly clinging to the thought that she had been wronged, that Rommath was lying to her. Then her heart constricted painfully as she came to accept the truth of what he was telling her. Rommath's devotion to his people was absolute; he would never invoke them in vain, and he would never ask Lorelai and Aethas to lie to her on his behalf. He knew they would never agree to it.

Braelyn could not help the bitter laugh that escaped her lips. How could she have not seen through Jack's lie?

"I'm going to punch that rogue in his stupid, stupid face!" she declared. "What was he thinking?"

"Braelyn," Rommath said, his eyes blazing with emotion, "did you marry _him _because you believed _I _had married Denaria?"

"No," she replied, hanging her head. _What a mess this is. _"But it did speed things up a little."

Silence descended on the pair, Braelyn still caught up in Rommath's grip. She wanted to pull away, but something kept her there, as still as stone. She used to dream of this moment, of being reunited with Rommath and hearing that he still wanted her. That he was going to take her home.

Only he can't ever take her home, as Braelyn's home was Stormwind now, not Silvermoon.

"Rommath, you need to leave," she whispered, placing her hands on his chest and pushing gently. "You are only hurting us both by being here."

Rommath bent down and kissed the side of her head. "It's okay, Braelyn. I blame myself for what happened to you, but it's over now. _He _is dead, and you can come back to me."

Braelyn was stunned. Rommath was a smart man, he could not seriously be suggesting that she could just abandon Anduin and her people mere days after Varian's death. Apart from the fact her husband was still very much alive, she had responsibilities, and a child on the way.

"Rommath," she said, staring up at him with shocked eyes, "I can't do that. I'm the queen, I have responsibilities, and Varian... "

"It doesn't have to be right away, dear heart," he replied, and she could the smile in his voice. "I know that you will have to return to Stormwind and grieve with your people. I assume that you will also need to help King Anduin settle in as well, but I can wait. When things have calmed down, then you can come home, and we can be together as we were meant to be."

This truly was one of the most difficult moments of Braelyn's life. How was she going to tell Rommath that she couldn't return to Silvermoon, that there was no future for them anymore? She was too afraid of the consequences to tell him the truth about Varian, but she couldn't allow him to keep living in false hope. It was just too cruel.

By the Light, she had been so angry at him for so long, but now... now all she felt was sorrow mixed with a whole of lot of regret.

"That isn't going to happen, Rommath," she said bluntly. "You need to accept that now. Don't create a future you can't have."

Rommath stared at her. "Why are you saying such things, dear heart? Is a life with me not what you want?"

"I'm pregnant!" Braelyn blurted, unable to think of anything else to say that would silence Rommath, and make him give up on her.

Rommath stepped away from her. Braelyn could hear the pained the gasp, see the momentary flash of distress in his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, Rommath," she whispered, tears falling down her cheek, "but you have to understand. We are over. It was all just a dream. Lovely while it lasted, but a dream nonetheless."

But Rommath, always her equal in stubbornness, refused to admit defeat. Braelyn could see it his eyes, the tilt of his chin, and the set of his shoulders. He was going to fight, and she found herself thinking bitterly that he should have fought like this much earlier.

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't want the child you're carrying to be mine instead of _his_," the elf said, "but as long as that child is born of you, I will love it as my own."

Braelyn could tell he meant every word.

"It's not that simple, Rommath!" she exclaimed in frustration. She walked away from him, hands forming into fists. "This child is going to mean so much to so many people! Anduin, my parents, even Genn Greymane... "

"They can still be a part of your life. You can visit them... "

"No, Rommath!" Braelyn yelled, turning to glare at the mage. "Just, _please _listen to me. You need to go back to Silvermoon and forget about me."

Rommath did not reply, he stood staring at her, head tilted to one side, as if he were studying some particularly complex problem. She saw a sudden flash of realisation in his eyes, and he strode forward, once again taking hold of her arms.

"Are you in love?" he demanded, his gaze boring down into hers.

"Rommath, what are... ?" Braelyn began, but he ignored her.

"Are you in love?" he repeated.

"Yes," Braelyn responded without thinking, "just not with you."

As Rommath's hands dropped from her body, Braelyn realised that what she'd said was true. She _was _in love, and it wasn't with Rommath.

She was in love with Varian.

Braelyn loved her husband with an intensity that almost blinded her now that she acknowledged her feelings for that really were. She wasn't sure how long she had felt this way, but there was no denying it any longer.

And there was no hiding it, either.

When Rommath stepped forward again his face was unreadable, his eyes blank. He raised a hand and trailed one of his long elegant fingers down Braelyn's cheek. She didn't blush, and she didn't get flustered. She simply stared at him with pity, as she realised that he now felt the way she had when he had sent her back to Stormwind.

When she didn't react to his touch the way he expected, Braelyn knew he'd recognised that she was telling the truth about no longer loving him. He backed away from her, face falling back into that mask of apathy he'd been wearing the first time they'd met.

"May I ask how _he _ was able to win your heart, when you swore it belonged only to me?' Rommath inquired.

Braelyn thought hard before answering. Rommath deserved an honest answer. "When things became difficult for us, Rommath, you pushed me away rather than fight for our future. You sent me back to Stormwind, without sparing a thought about what I wanted, what I _needed_," she said. "Varian, however... when we fought, he reacted badly, and I didn't think I could ever forgive him, let alone come to love him. Yet he refused to give up on me, on us. He gave me what I needed, which was time and space to heal, and he never stopped fighting for me.

"Varian did what he did because the thought of losing me terrified him to death. He couldn't even bear the _idea _of me being lost to him, let alone actually send me away himself."

"You know why I sent you away," Rommath growled. "Your safety... "

"I am in far more danger as Queen Braelyn Wrynn than I ever could have been in as your wife, Rommath," Braelyn pointed out, and gestured to the tent, reminding him of her current predicament. "Varian worries about me constantly, but has only ever held me close."

Rommath sighed, and she saw with relief that he was finally accepting what she had said. "Very well, Your Majesty," he said, and Braelyn was sad to hear such cold formality from someone who had once meant so much to her. "I will not waste time here any longer."

Rommath raised the tent flap, but paused to look back at her when she called out to him.

"I was furious with you for a long time, Rommath," Braelyn said, "but even in the depths of my anger, I never would have wished this pain on you."

He nodded. "It is not in your nature to inflict pain intentionally," Rommath replied. "It is one of the things I love most about you." He chuckled when he saw the look on Braelyn's face. "No," he added, "my feelings have not changed, dear heart. I love you now as I loved you then, and as I will always love you. Remember that."

Braelyn could only watch in stunned silence as the Grand Magister of Silvermoon left the tent _and_ her life. For the first time in her brief existence, she knew what it felt like to be the _heartbreaker_, not the heartbroken.

There was very little difference between the two.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>ugh. that moment when you realise that you stuffed your timeline up so a whole heap of things happened in a really short period of time, even though it all happened a bit more realistically in your head. That was me in this chapter. Basically, in 2 years, Braelyn's been to Silvermoon, had her affair with Rommath, come home for a year and then gotten involved with Varian. I should have thought about that a bit more, since I always pictured her stay in Silvermoon being over 6 months, and several months passing between her engagement and the wedding.

A short chapter today, but I felt like this confrontation deserved to have its own.

Next chapter: Fox and Learen launch a rescue effort, but it's hard to stealth when a certain mage seems determined to show the Sunreaver's a thing or two about fire magic.


	19. Two rogues and a mage

After Rommath left, Braelyn had little to do but sit down and try and calm her raging emotions. So many things she had to think about, still so many worries pushing down on her shoulders. She rubbed her stomach absent-mindedly, thoughts of her baby the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Was that as horrible as I imagine it was?" Lorelai asked from the doorway, a concerned look on her face.

"Worse," Braelyn replied, giving her friend a sad smile. "You and Aethas will look after him, won't you?"

"Of course," Lorelai agreed, walking over to sit next her. She handed Braelyn another potion. "I want you to drink this. You've been under too much stress today."

"Thanks, Lorelai," Braelyn said, before drinking the vial. "You're such a good friend." She paused briefly before saying, "I told Rommath about the baby."

"I thought you might have," Lorelai replied softly. "He looked very distressed when Lor'themar and Halduron went to speak with him."

"Oh, gods!" Braelyn exclaimed, a new worry taking root. "He won't tell them will he?"

"I don't know," Lorelai answered. "But don't panic! They will keep it to themselves, I'm sure. You know they consider you a friend, both to them personally, and to our race. In fact, if it had been a Sunreaver that had found you, Lor'themar would have sent you back to Stormwind straight away."

"Really?"

"Yes," the priestess said with a nod. "Apart from the grief it caused Rommath, we were happy to know you were going to be Queen of Stormwind. We thought you might bring some balance into the Alliance, and counteract some of Jaina Proudmoore's influence."

"I've tried," Braelyn admitted, "but Varian is a bit overprotective of me, and doesn't like involving me in Alliance/Horde affairs."

"Does he know about Rommath?" Lorelai asked. Braelyn nodded.

"Yes. It's kind of how we ended up getting married, actually," she said, and told Lorelai about the events leading up to her wedding.

The blood elf sat in shock for a while before gasping, "By the Light, Braelyn! How do you manage to keep finding yourself in such situations?"

"I honestly don't know," Braelyn sighed. "It seems to be some sort of skill."

"Are you happy?" Lorelai asked, taking her hand. "Aethas and I have been worrying about that. Does Varian treat you well?"

"I am happy, Lorelai," Braelyn said with a small smile. "In the beginning, things were difficult, and there is much about being queen that I don't enjoy, but Varian is a good man."

Lorelai stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You love him, don't you?"

"Very much," Braelyn confessed, her smile growing as she thought of her husband. "I never thought I would love anyone besides Rommath, but Varian... he's my world."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lorelai said. "I hated the thought of you trapped in a loveless marriage."

"Do not worry about me, my friend," Braelyn replied. "I am pleased with how things have turned out. Well, except for being held hostage and having to pretend that my husband is dead. I assume Aethas told you?"

Lorelai nodded. "We don't keep secrets from one another," she said, blushing when Braelyn grinned at her knowingly. "I wish you could attend our wedding."

"Me too, but I'll be there in spirit." Braelyn squeezed her friend's hand again. "Now, I think I need to lie down for a while, Lorelai. I'm so exhausted."

"Of course," Lorelai said, standing up and helping her lie down. "I will see you in the morning. Do not hesitate to send for me if you need anything in the meantime."

Braelyn laid back and watched her friend leave, smile still on her face. All the stress was worth getting to see her friends again, even if it did involve crushing Rommath's heart. She ran her fingers over her stomach as she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her.

"It's all right, little one," she murmured. "We'll be back home with Daddy soon enough."

* * *

><p>It was dark when Braelyn woke up, her senses tingling. "Who's there? Lorelai?" she asked, then gasped as a leather clad hand slammed over her mouth. She started struggling as panic set in.<p>

"Your Majesty! It's Fox!" a female voice whispered in her ear. "Please calm down."

Braelyn did as she was told, though she glared at the female rogue when she came into view. "Fox, what are you doing here?" she hissed. "The Horde are negotiating my release. If they find you here... "

"They won't. Not if we act quickly. Now follow me, as close as you can. And hurry, before Learen decides it's Stab the Blood Elf Day."

"What are you going to do?" Braelyn asked. "We're miles away from Violet Rise."

"Chelinka's here," Fox replied. "She and Learen are going to create a distraction while I sneak you out."

"Why didn't you just sneak Chel in here so she could open a portal?"

"Can't. Portals take time, and the Sunreaver's have alarms set up all over the place. Anytime anyone other than a Hordie tries to use magic they go off. We don't have the manpower to defend her while she summons," Fox explained looking tense. It was clear the rogue thought the queen was being difficult.

"All right," Braelyn muttered, "but I really don't like this."

Fox nodded and went to the front of the tent. She leaned out carefully, and waved her hands about in some sort of weird sign language. She then looked back at Braelyn, waving the queen forward.

Braelyn walked, as quietly as she could, to where the rogue was. Fox enveloped them both in her Shroud, and they began moving forward. When they got outside the tent, Fox paused, and Braelyn could see her shoulders tense.

"Be ready," she whispered to Braelyn, and drew one of her daggers, her free hand taking hold of Braelyn's arm.

Braelyn nodded, then almost jumped out of her skin when one of the nearby tents exploded into flame. She didn't have time to say anything, as Fox began running, dragging Braelyn along with her. Any of the Sunreaver guards that noticed them were cut down with a flash of steel, or found themselves on fire.

Braelyn looked back over her shoulder as she followed after Fox. There, in the centre of the camp, stood Chelinka, cackling madly as she rained destruction down upon the Horde forces.

"You think you blood elves know fire magic?" the mage taunted. "I'll show you fire magic!"

"She's going to die!" Braelyn cried to Fox, attempting to turn around and go to her friend's aid.

"Please!" Fox replied, exasperated. "It's Chelinka! She'll outlive us all. Now come on, Your Highness!"

With great reluctance, Braelyn did as Fox asked, trusting in the older woman's judgement. But as she fled into the night, the sound of war and flame ringing in her ears, she couldn't help but think that her life was a poor substitute for those of her friends.

* * *

><p>"No, Your Majesty!" Lady Jaina Proudmoore said, firmly. "We will not be teleporting you back to the Shrine immediately. You must rest here for what remains of the night."<p>

"But Varian... "

"His Majesty is currently undergoing treatment," Jaina said, "and I'm sure he wouldn't want you rushing about after such an ordeal."

"I understand and appreciate your concern, Lady Proudmoore," Braelyn said, biting back a more colourful response, "but I intend to be there when my husband wakes up, and it does not take long to make the Bride's Mantle potion."

"I'm sorry," Jaina said, not sounding apologetic at all, "but my decision stands. I will summon a portal for you in the morning. Until then, please sleep."

Braelyn swore as Lady Proudmoore departed. "What part of 'Queen of Stormwind' does she not understand?" she asked Fox.

"She doesn't like the fact that you're gaining influence with the Alliance, especially considering your mother's past with Aethas Sunreaver," the rogue responded.

"Yeah, well, if she hates me now, let's see how she feels when I tell Varian she kept me here against my will," Braelyn hissed, clenching her hands into fists. "He was already angry enough over her attack on the Sunreavers, but this? Oh, boy."

"That's quite manipulative of you, Your Highness," Fox replied, approval evident in her tone.

"All you rogues are beginning to rub off on me," Braelyn retorted, before sighing with frustration. "I just... Varian needs me."

"And you need the king," Fox added. "Don't worry, Chelinka and Learen should be back soon. Chel will take you to the Shrine."

"Chel will do what now?" a happy voice called out, and Braelyn turned to see Chelinka walk into her room with Learen tucked under one arm and the queen's bow under the other. The gnome was cursing wildly, yelling about blood elves and trolls that needed to be stabbed.

"Proudmoore is keeping me here against my will!" Braelyn declared, tears gathering in her eyes. She marched up to the mage, grabbed Learen and held him tightly to her chest as she stared at her friend with desperation. "Please open a portal to the Shrine for me?"

"Okay, Braelyn, no problems, but I better come with you. Jaina will be pissed, and I don't want to have to deal with that," Chelinka said with a flick of her black hair. "Stand back and let me work my mojo."

"Thanks, Chelinka, you're a lifesaver," Braelyn said, putting Learen down. The gnome immediately disappeared. She hoped he wasn't going back to stab any more blood elves. "And you recovered my bow!"

"Sure did," Chelinka replied, handing the weapon to Braelyn as she started to summon forth her magic. Braelyn slipped the bow over her head, and smiled with childish glee as she imagined Jaina Proudmoore returning in the morning to find the queen gone.

"Fox, are you coming with me?"

"Of course, Your Highness," the rogue replied. "It's my duty to stay with you." She paused. "I don't want to be here when Lady Proudmoore returns either," she added with a small smile.

"Okay, ladies," Chelinka said, "portal's up! Let's go."

Braelyn stopped to hug both Fox and Chelinka before she stepped through the portal. "Thank you both so much for this," she said. "I will find a way to repay you for this."

_Hold on Varian, I'm coming._

* * *

><p>"Little star, I need to breathe," Varian laughed as his wife hugged him tightly. She lessened her grip a fraction, but did not stop holding him. Her face was buried in his neck, and he could feel her tears trickling down his skin. "Do not cry, Braelyn," he added, kissing the top of her head. "I am awake, and my wounds are healing. I will be all right."<p>

Braelyn had been there when he woke up, holding his hand and staring at him intently, as if willing him to wake up. When Varian had opened his eyes, she had gasped and thrown herself around him, and they had not parted since.

He was overjoyed to see her, but worried about how stressed she looked.

"I was so afraid we wouldn't get the herbs to Broll in time," she whispered, nuzzling his cheek as she finally pulled herself away from him.

She hopped on to the bed and tucked herself into his side, and Varian wasted no time in wrapping his arm around her. He smiled as she sighed happily.

"I'm sorry to have worried you so," he murmured. "But you need worry no longer."

For a while, he was content just to hold her to him. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was the desire to see his wife one last time, to see the radiance of her smile. To wake up and see her beside him was a blessing that Varian would never take for granted again. He would thank the Light every day for returning him to her.

"When we get back home, we're going to have a discussion about you running off into danger like that," Varian said finally. Braelyn had told him what had happened since the attack on the Shrine. "Anduin could have lost us both."

"Oh, hush," Braelyn said firmly, and when Varian looked down at her he could see a stubborn glint in her eye. "You would have done the same for me. Besides, we didn't have much choice in the matter."

"Hmmm," Varian replied ambiguously. "I shall take your word for it, little star, though I am not happy with the idea of you being held hostage by the blood elves again."

And it was the truth; the idea of his wife around Rommath, especially, made him more afraid than he'd been in a long time. He tightened his grip on Braelyn and kissed her temple, reassuring himself that she was really there with him.

"Do not worry, Varian," Braelyn said, kissing his shoulder, her hand coming to rest on his chest, over his heart. "I'm glad it happened, actually."

"Oh, why is that?" Varian replied, a sudden fear gripping his heart. He couldn't lose his little star. Not to that blood elf. Not to anyone.

"I discovered two very important things while I was at Dawnseeker Promontory," his wife continued, and he saw a smile on her face. He relaxed slightly. Women didn't smile like that when they were planning on telling their husbands they were running off to join the Sin'dorei.

"And what are they?" Varian asked, genuinely curious.

Braelyn sat up and turned around so she was facing him. She smiled, one of those breathtaking, starlit smiles of hers, and all he could do was stare at her like a fool while she cradled his face in her hands.

"Well," she said softly, "the first is that I love you, so ve... "

Varian didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence. He leaned forward and kissed her, wrapping one arm around her waist, the other moving up to cup her head. He had waited so long to hear her say those words, fearing that she would never come to reciprocate his feelings.

When Varian finally pulled away from Braelyn, he lay his forehead against her own. He made a happy sound, halfway between a growl and a purr. "As I love you, my beautiful little star."

He grinned when his wife's face lit up. She kissed him softly, fingers tracing his scar. He began kissing down the elegant column of her neck, chuckling when she began to giggle and squirm. Varian sighed in contentment. He was the happiest of the men, and surely the luckiest on Azeroth.

"I thought I told you to take it easy, my friend?" Broll said from the doorway, an amused glimmer in his amber eyes.

"This is me taking it easy," Varian said, laughing when Braelyn buried her blushing face in his neck.

"Do you want me to come back later?" Broll asked grinning.

"No!" Braelyn said, sitting up. "It will be good to have a healer on standby when I tell you what I else I learned."

Varian tensed. "What is it, Braelyn? Are you injured? Ill? Did those bastards hurt you?" If they did, so help him he was going to storm their pathetic little camp and end them all.

"Relax, darling," Braelyn said, kissing his cheek with smiling lips. "It is nothing bad. I promise."

"The what is it?" he demanded, glaring at her. To his surprise, Braelyn simply took his hand and placed it over her stomach. She grinned up at him, but said nothing.

Varian just stared at her, and she raised an eyebrow at him in amusement. What was she do... oh.

_Oh._

He grinned, and the hand that was on his wife's stomach caressed her softly. He felt himself catch fire with the intensity of his joy. A child. A little bit of him and his little star made manifest in another living being. He could think of nothing more beautiful, or glorious.

"Are you ready to be a daddy again, Varian?" Braelyn asked, tears forming in her ocean blue eyes.

"Most definitely," he said softly, then laughed, holding her to his heart. "Anduin is going to be overjoyed to hear the news."

"As is Genn," Braelyn replied. "He'll finally have a little one to watch frolicking around the Keep."

"With you as their mother, they'll be a natural frolicker," Varian said, smirking. He turned to Broll, who was watching the royal couple with a grin on his face. "Come, my friend, tend to my wife so I can rest knowing that her and my child are well."

As the druid stepped forward to check Braelyn over, Varian could not stop grinning.

Daddy. It was truly the most wonderful word in existence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>we're in the home stretch now. Another chapter and an epilogue to go.

I will try and write as much as I can over the weekend, as I am most likely going to be having my gallbladder removed on Tuesday, and will be visiting my surgeon on Monday in preparation. I am not sure when I'll be writing again after that.

Next Chapter: Jack makes his final play for Braelyn, and it is more disastrous than anyone could have predicted. Is Varian's nightmare about to come true?


	20. Jack

The streets of Stormwind were crowded with people celebrating the return of King Varian and Queen Braelyn. People were laughing and dancing in the streets, and employers had long since given up on getting any work out of their employees for the day.

There was one member of the crowd who _wasn't _smiling, however, and that man was Jack Devereaux.

The aristocratic rogue almost snarled when he heard the royal couple toasted for the ninth time in as many minutes. Varian Wrynn's survival had ruined everything, and he wasn't just thinking about the future he'd planned with his little hunter.

The Defias Brotherhood did not take failure lightly. When news of the king's survival reached Stormwind two weeks ago, Jack knew that the Defias would want retribution, but he did not expect them to move as quickly as they had.

Those pesky thieves had stolen the deeds to his land in Duskfall and Westfall. The land was useless in the current climate, but it enabled him to remain in the house of nobles. He retained his estate in the Redridge Mountains near Lakeshire, but he'd received word from the Mayor's office that he was behind in his taxes.

He'd have to sell the estate just to pay of his tax debt.

Which left Jack with his manor house in Stormwind, which he could not afford to maintain without the land in Redridge.

Lucinda Bellweather had written him a summons, asking him to attend dinner at her house in two days time. As much as he'd like to believe that she wanted to betroth her daughter to him, Jack knew the truth. She was going to expel him from the house of nobles, thus rendering him of no importance at all in Stormwind society. He would be noble by birth, but have no power.

And wouldn't that bitch just love that. Bellweather had been after him for years, especially since she'd become such good friends with Braelyn. No doubt Rae had told the older woman all about their adventures in Elwynn.

For the first time, Jack actually regretted leaving Braelyn behind that day. If they'd stayed together then, she'd be his wife now, tucked up in their manor with a few kids running through the halls.

But there was no time for regret; he had to salvage what he could. Luckily, he still had friends, and plenty of other people to blackmail into helping him with his last-ditch plan to save himself and capture the queen.

And this time, he'd handle things in person.

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon, when the sky was settling into twilight and shadows were chasing the sunlight out of the streets. Varian and Braelyn were enjoying a few precious hours together on the banks of Olivia's Pond after a huge day spent celebrating their homecoming with their family and friends.<p>

They'd also told Anduin, Braelyn's parents, and Genn about the baby. Braelyn would never forget the look of absolute joy on Anduin's face when he found out he was finally going to be a brother, or the way Genn and her mother argued over whether it was going to be a boy or a girl.

Braelyn was standing within the circle of Varian's arms, her husband's chin resting on top of her head. She smiled when she felt his hand rubbing her stomach softly, and placed her hands over his.

"What do you think our child will be?" she asked, staring at their reflection in the water.

"A little girl, the very image of her mother," Varian replied after a minute's thought. "I look forward to tormenting her suitors as your father tormented me."

"What, no running all the young men out of Stormwind the moment she turns eighteen?" Braelyn laughed, as she imagined her husband chasing a bevy of young men through the city streets, Shalamayne in hand.

"Somehow, I don't think that would win me any favours with our girl," Varian laughed, "especially if she takes after you."

"True enough."

"And what about you, little star?" Varian asked. "Do you think you carry my son or my daughter?"

"A son," Braelyn replied instantly, having already thought about it several times. "A little boy to stomp around the Keep like his Daddy, scowling adorably at everyone who dares threaten his domain."

"Hmmm, we may have to compromise," Varian mused. "A little girl that looks like me, but who loves to frolic around the Keep like her mother."

"With an adorable scowl on her face," Braelyn added with a giggle.

"With an adorable scowl," Varian agreed, "though I do take offence at being thought adorable. I prefer 'intimidating in a very handsome manner'."

"That you are, my love," Braelyn said, "that you are."

She twisted around in his arms so that she was staring up at him. "Have I told you today how much I love you?" she asked kissing his chin.

"Only seven times," Varian replied, smirking down at her. "And that's not nearly enough."

"I'm sorry," Braelyn said with a laugh. "How remiss of me. Let me make it up to you b... "

"ROGUES!" one of their guards yelled, before collapsing to ground, blood spurting from a jagged cut across his neck.

Varian grabbed Braelyn and pushed her towards her guards. "Protect the Queen! Get her back to the Keep."

"Varian, wait!"Braelyn cried,as she was dragged away. She her husband pulling Shalamayne from his back. All around her, members of the guard were being sapped, or killed outright. "Bitey!" she shouted. "Bitey, find them!"

Braelyn's lynx came rushing out from Olivia's cottage, where he'd been visiting the little girl. He immediately latched onto a stealthed rogue who was dangerously close to where her guards were dragging her. There was an agonised yell, and a night elf came into view. He was swearing at Bitey, trying to remove the lynx from his ankles.

"Braelyn, get moving!" Varian bellowed, charging over to take care of the night elf rogue.

Braelyn started moving away with her guard, eyes never leaving Varian as he fought off any of the rogues he could find.

But she didn't get far.

A cloud of smoke, thick and toxic, obscured her vision, and hid her perfectly from sight. She heard muffled grunts and thumps as her guards were incapacitated and hit the ground. She cried out for Varian, but a hand covered her mouth, and she felt a dagger press against her sternum.

"Relax, love, it's only me," a familiar voice crooned, and Braelyn began to struggle harder, kicking Jack Devereaux in the shins. He grunted, but did not let her go. When the smoke cleared, he dropped the hand from her mouth and grabbed a second dagger, holding that one to her throat.

"Varian!" she cried out in fear, trying to claw her way free.

Varian let out a bellow of rage when he saw Jack holding her hostage. "Get your hands off of her!"

"Oh, I think not, Your Majesty," Jack said. "Braelyn and I have some unfinished business to take care of."

"Jack, Jack... please," Braelyn begged, her hands dropping down to her stomach. "Don't do this. Why are you so determined to ruin my life, you bastard!"

"I wouldn't have had to do this if your husband had been a good little monarch and stayed dead," Jack said, tightening his grip on Braelyn as a warning when Varian took a step towards them. "But the Defias don't tolerate failure, and if I have to live in exile, then I won't be alone."

"You were responsible for that?" Braelyn shouted, outraged. She kicked Jack again.

Varian growled like a savage beast. "I will kill you, Devereaux. You want even have to worry about sitting in the Stockades, either."

"Bold words, Your Majesty," Jack taunted, "but I know you won't risk hurting your beloved queen. You don't want another wife dying in your arms, do you?"

Silence. Cold, cold silence in which Braelyn could only weep in frustrated anger as Varian almost exploded with rage. She couldn't believe Jack had resorted to this, that he really was petty and vindictive enough to ruin so many innocent lives because of his own poor judgement.

She decided to try to appeal to him. Surely there was a sliver of human decency left in there?

"Jack," she pleaded. "If you have any mercy left in you, please don't do this. I'm pregnant, and what has my child done to deserve this?"

Jack paused, and the daggers moved away from her slightly. "You're pregnant, love?"

"Don't you call her that!" Varian snapped, eyes blazing with fury. He was waiting for Jack to make a mistake so he could move in and rescue Braelyn.

Braelyn nodded. "Yes."

"This is wonderful news, _love_!" he cried. "A baby will keep you nice and compliant," he added. "If you're really good, I may even let you keep it, although I'm sure Vanessa VanCleef would just love to get her hands on it, too."

"No!" Braelyn yelled, and Varian charged forward. Jack dragged her to one side, the dagger at her throat nicking the skin and causing a thin ribbon of blood to trickle down her neck. Her husband froze, a snarl escaping his lips.

"It's okay, Varian," Braelyn tried to console him as Jack let out a loud whistle. An ebony gryphon descended from the sky, landing just behind her. "He won't be able to hide from you forever, and I won't let him take our baby."

"How sweet," Jack mocked her as he pulled her onto his mount, securing her side-saddle. "Say your goodbyes, love. You won't be seeing him again, no matter what you think."

"Braelyn, I _will _find you!" Varian yelled as the gryphon slowly started lifting itself from the ground. "I will find you!"

"I know, Varian," she replied as the bird hovered a few metres in the air, Jack's way of taunting Varian one last time. "I love you! Don't forget that."

But Jack's final taunt proved to be his undoing.

There was a soft thud, and Braelyn felt Jack stiffen behind her, and grunt with pain. His grip on her loosened, and she felt something wet and warm dripping onto her shoulders.

"Damn it!" she heard him swore, and his voice was terse and full of pain. "Damn hunters!" There was a second soft thud, and this time Braelyn recognised the sound; an arrow finding its mark. Acting on instinct, she reached forward and grabbed hold of the gryphon's neck as tightly as she could.

Seconds later, Jack lost his grip and fell, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Braelyn looked down. The rogue had two arrows sticking out of it, one in the shoulder, one in the back. They didn't look fatal, and she didn't think the fall would have killed him, either, just knocked him unconscious.

Varian charging over and running Shalamayne through his heart was definitely a fatality, though.

Braelyn urged the panicking gryphon to land a few metres away from where Jack's body lay. Her feet barely hit the ground before a figure dashed in front of her, a large sword glinting in the dying light.

But it wasn't Varian.

"I'll protect you, Queen Braelyn!" Missy shouted, lifting a shield almost as big as she was in front of them.

"I got him! I got him!" Cameron yelled, running over to Braelyn. "Did you see that, Miss Braelyn!"

"I did see, Cameron," Braelyn said, smiling shakily. "What an excellent shot. I'm proud of you. Proud of you both."

"As am I," Varian said, walking over. He stopped briefly to ruffle Cameron's hair before glancing at Missy, who stood tall and saluted the king with pride, obviously relishing her role as a trainee Paladin. "What is your name, young lady?"

"Melissa O'Hara, Your Highness, but everyone calls me Missy."

"Well, Missy, I thank you and your brother for your heroic actions today," Varian said, picking Braelyn up as he talked. "You are both to be commended for your bravery. I will not forget your actions today, and I will make sure you are properly rewarded. Bring your family to the Keep tomorrow so that I might speak with them."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Missy said, saluting again, before taking Cameron by the hand and walking off.

"Let's get you back to the Keep," Varian said, and started after the children, Braelyn tucking herself under his chin. There was panic in the streets, but the King did his best to calm everyone as they made their way home.

"I was so frightened, Varian," Braelyn confessed, "but when he threatened our baby, I just wanted to kill him with my bare hands."

"I've wanted to do that to Jack Devereaux for years," Varian said, voice full of disgust. "But it's over. We will not have to worry about him anymore. He will threaten you and our child no longer."

Braelyn raised her head and kissed Varian's cheek as they entered the throne room. Genn come rushing up to them but Varian waved him away with one hand. "Not now, Genn. Everything's fine. If you want to help, go fetch Odariah Hunt from the Cathedral and ask her to bring her fiancé with her."

"Of course, my son," Genn replied, heading out.

"We are lucky in our friends, my love," Braelyn said, smiling fondly at the Gilnean king's retreating back.

"That we are," Varian said, but he did not stop until they were in their chambers, and Braelyn was resting comfortably on their bed. He lay his hand on her stomach. "Are you both all right?" he asked, and Braelyn could see the concern in his eyes.

"I think so," she responded, beckoning for Varian to lie beside her. She snuggled into his side when he joined her, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Do not worry, Varian. Everything will be fine. Have faith."

"I was so afraid," he whispered, and Braelyn could hear the fear and loss in his voice. "When he mentioned me losing another wife, I just... and the baby... "

"Shush, my love," Braelyn said, tracing her fingertips along his chin. "I am safe, and so is our baby. Neither of us is leaving you without a fight."

"Good, because I will not let you leave me without a fight either," Varian replied, kissing her forehead.

They lay in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company, exchanging soft kisses and the odd caress. Eventually, Braelyn sighed and said, "I think we should avoid Olivia's Pond for a while. That area seems to have it out for me."

"That's the best idea you've had," Varian said with a small laugh.

"No it isn't," Braelyn argued. "The best idea I ever had was when I decided to 'put on the damn ring and agree to marry you'." She grinned as Varian groaned, though she could feel him laughing, her head bouncing slightly as his chest rumbled.

"Did I really say that?" he asked.

"Yes, yes you did."

"Then I change my mind. That_ was_ the best idea you ever had," Varian said, tilting her head so he could claim her lips. "A most excellent decision."

"I'm glad you agree," Braelyn said, wishing that Odariah wasn't on her way. She really wanted to frolic privately with her husband. The adult kind of frolicking. Instead she closed her eyes, planning to rest until her cousin arrived.

The day's events caught up with her, and Braelyn was soon asleep, smiling as she snuggled closer to Varian's warmth, his name on her lips. He kissed her forehead, and smoothed a stray strand of hair off her face.

"Sleep well, little star," Varian whispered, closing his own eyes, and enjoying the silence. He felt more content than he had in a long time, and knew that it was because of the woman lying in his arms, his child growing within her. She really was the guiding light in his life.

Ten minutes later, when Andorien and Odariah entered the royal chambers, they saw something that brought a smile to their faces and caused them to look lovingly at each other. The King was fast asleep, both arms wrapped around his sleeping queen. The royal couple's faces were tilted towards each other as they slept, a look of deep contentment upon them both.

"Come, dearest," Andorien whispered, drawing Odariah close, "I think we should wait in the throne room until they call for us."

When the door shut behind the druid and the priest, silence settled upon the room once more. All that could be heard was the sound of two people breathing in perfect harmony, as if in their slumber, the two bodies became one soul.

* * *

><p><strong>AN <strong>- I am basing Jack's predicament on the way the Senate used to run in Ancient Rome, the Senatorial class being their aristocracy before the Empire came along. To enter the senate, a man had to own a particular amount of land (and there may have been a monetary component as well). If they lost land, they would be expelled. That's why having too many sons could be a problem for a family, because they'd have to split the land up between them, which could result in them not qualifying for the Senate. I think that's why some families used to adopt their younger sons out.

Next Chapter: it's the epilogue!


	21. Epilogue

Braelyn sighed with happiness as she exited the portal into Stormwind's Mage Tower. She'd been to Darnassus to help Odariah settle in to her new home with Andorien and their baby, a little boy named Osynix.

Thinking of the half-elf child, Braelyn grinned. She loved the child dearly, but was missing her own family. She wondered how Varian had coped in her absence.

Just as she stepped of the tower's ramp, Braelyn heard a bashful giggle, and was surprised to see Chelinka sitting on the stone steps leading to one of the merchant's shops. The mage was actually blushing, and Braelyn couldn't help smirking a little smugly when she saw the reason why.

Dominic, her husband's chief steward, was sitting next to her, holding out a rose for Chelinka to take.

Braelyn had decided to introduce the two as a reward for Dominic, her way of thanking him for his support when they thought that Varian had been killed by the Defias Brotherhood. She thought that the pedantic man could do with a little romance in his life, especially with someone who could help get the stick out of his arse.

Although... Chelinka being the shy one in the relationship was quite a surprise. Braelyn mad a mental note to tease the fire mage mercilessly the next time she visited the Keep.

The throne room was relatively empty when Braelyn entered, with neither Varian or Genn in attendance. She greeted the few petitioners and guards with a warm smile, before continuing on to the Courtyard, knowing that's where the missing men would be.

But she only found Genn, deep in conversation with Anduin.

"Mother!" Anduin cried, rushing over to give Braelyn a hug. "You're home. Father will be pleased."

"Really?" she replied, kissing Anduin's cheek, before doing the same to Genn.

"Yes, my dear," Genn said, chuckling. "I'm afraid Varian's been complaining about the 'legendary Hawke stubbornness' quite a lot since you've been gone."

"Oh, dear," Braelyn said, laughing. "I best go and rescue him then. Where is he?"

"In your chambers," Anduin answered.

"I'll go now, but we'll all dine together this evening, all right?"

"Of course," Genn said. "I look forward to hearing how your dear cousin is doing."

Braelyn gave the two men a last smile before heading for her chambers. There were two guards standing outside the door, but she knew that Fox and Learen were around somewhere, too.

"Everyone still alive in there, Fox?" she asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied the rogue, her voice coming from somewhere further down the hall. "Though the was a lot of squealing going on earlier."

"Oho, this I have to see," Braelyn said. Nodding to the two guards, she opened her bedroom door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

The curtains were drawn, and she had to wait a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the low light. When she did, she turned her gaze to the bed, from where a soft snoring emanated. A smile lit up her face.

Varian was fast asleep, and he was not alone. Draped over his chest, her little fists grasping his hair, their eighteen-month-old daughter, Evangeline, lay sleeping. Her twin brother, Liam, was curled around his father's head, one hand resting on Varian's cheek, the other held to his own face as he sucked his thumb.

Braelyn stood and stared at them, her precious little family, with a loving smile on her face. The children had Varian's dark hair, but her ocean blue eyes. Evangeline's temperament was much like her father's, complete with the adorable little scowl that Braelyn had wished for. Liam was all Braelyn though, from his gorgeous smile to his love of animals.

Neither of them were inclined to frolic, though Genn said there was still time for them to develope the habit.

Braelyn went and carefully lifted Evangeline off of Varian's chest. She kissed the little girl's cheek when she began to grizzle, crooning to her softly as she transferred her to the crib in the small nursery leading off the main chamber. She repeated the process with her son, smoothing the boy's hair as she watched her children settle back down into sleep. She prayed for the Light to watch over them as they slept.

When she was sure the children were resting comfortably, Braelyn returned to her room and quietly removed her armor. Removing her trousers, she climbed into the bed and lay beside Varian, snuggling into her husband's side.

"Welcome home, little star," Varian murmured sleepily, wrapping an arm around her. "We've missed you."

"So I heard," Braelyn said, placing a soft kiss on Varian's shoulder. "I hope they weren't too much of a handful for you."

"Our son has learnt how to sic Bitey on people," Varian said, kissing her forehead.

"He's a smart boy, like his mother," Braelyn laughed, though she hoped that no one had been too badly injured.

"That he is," her husband replied with a yawn, clearly wanting to fall back to sleep.

"Go back to sleep, my love," Braelyn said, running her hand over his chest. "We can talk over dinner."

"All right," Varian replied, eyelids fluttering closed. "It's good that you are home."

As Braelyn rest her head on Varian's shoulder, she thought that what he said was true. It _was _good to be home.

It was always a joy to return to the Keep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>and there we have it. This is the final multi-chapter Braelyn story, though she will be making an appearance in a one-or-two shot about how she came to meet Jack. I am currently in the planning stages of another story, with a different heroine, but I do not know when I will be starting to write it. Probably not for at least a week, depending on how well my surgery goes. It is tentatively titles 'Shadows and Light'.

I would like to thank my readers and reviewers, especially Amcm74 and Chelinka. Your kind words and encouragement have meant a lot, and been great motivation to keep writing on a daily basis. Knowing that you have people waiting for you to update your story is a wonderful feeling. Plus, friends to play with!


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